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THE STORY OF 
SIXTY YEARS 



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Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama 
May 8, 1902 



JUBHAHYofCONBKESS 

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JUN 8 1908 

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The Story of Sixty Years. 



The stream of Life flows grandly on, 

A casket's on it's bosom borne ; 
And ere it's mental life hath flown, 

'Twill w r eave a tale strange and forlorn. 

In the flowery month of May on the 8th day, 1842 a tiny 
bark of life was successfully' launched. 

The travail of that truly christian mother must have 
been mitigated by the fact that it was a son ; the effect on the 
paternal side I have forgotten, if told. This infant was very 
precocious, and at about two years of age it followed it's 
eldest sister to the spring, and in attempting to cross a foot- 
log on the branch, clinging on to the skirt of her dress, in 
the rear, it made a misstep and fell into the water, her screams 
brought an old negress to the rescue, who leaped into the 
stream, and grasping the drowning child, held it at arms 
length above the surface as she sunk beneath its liquid depths, 
their combined screams brought several lusty, stalwart ne- 
groes worging near by, who soon rescued them from a 
watery grave. (This child commences treasuring in its 
young and pure heart a warm affection for the negro race.) 
During about the third year of it's young life the same sister 
took it to Sabbath school with her, leaving it on the outside 
with the other children and their nurses, while she was re- 
hearsing her Sabbath school lessons ; in all probability be- 
came miffed at some slight occurrence and started for home 
alone. As the primeval forests in this beautiful valley were 
almost in their pristine loveliness ; as the red man had only 
six years previously left his native haunts and journeyed to 
the far west ; and the ax of the pioneer had only felled small 
patches of timber here and there ; the child missed its way, 
and taking a well beaten road where timbers for building 
purposes and rails for fencing were hauled after being se- 
lected out of the trackless forests, wandered into their wild 
depths near 10 o'clock a. m. The Sabbath school being over, 
the sister missing her little brother and being told by the 
nurses that he had gone home, hastened there to find he had 
not returned. The aged grand-father summoned the whole 



household, servants and visitors ; and after dispatching some 
to the village, about a half a mile distant, and some to the 
neighbors near by, all to report as soon as possible any tid- 
ings of the lost child. The community was soon aroused ; 
the child was indeed lost. The grief and anguish of the 
mother was deep and poignant ; anxiety pervaded the breasts 
of all. Men were mounted in hot haste and dispatched in 
every direction, blowing bugles and horns, women and youths 
in small parties were scouring the surrounding country and 
examining streams, for as yet there were no wells in the coun- 
try, for the limpid, sparkling springs and cool, clear rippling 
streams furnished an abundance of water for all purposes. 
The excitement increases; the few animals that run at large 
of the sparsely settled community and the game of every 
description, startled by the unnatural din, stampede in 
every direction, many never to meet their loved companions, 
relatives and playmates again ; the hunt continues, the din 
increases, as the sombre hues of the forest shades tell of the 
approach of night. Darkness soon settles gloomily over all. 
Listen ! A stout, young yet matured son of Ham, mounted 
on the lost child's grand-father's Kentucky saddle horse, 
thinks he hears the faint bleating or sobbing of some young 
animal in the dense, dark forest ahead, he makes for the 
hapless mite ; as he gradually nears it, he hears the distinct 
intonations of a distressed child's voice as it now weariedly 
and sobbingly lisps: "Oh, grand-ma- Oh, Grand-ma- ! Oh, 
grand-ma! ! !" The noble horse raises his head as he ap- 
proaches the singular sound, and abruptly halting surveys 
the strange scene ; with the exception of the weary lamenta- 
tions of the heart-broken child, a deathlike stillness prevails 
for a breathless moment ; the bold rescuer leans forward as 
his keen dark eyes flashes past the arched neck of the 
motionless animal, and dimly descries a herd of dry cattle 
with heads inverted standing in a circle around a small, 
dark, mentally suffering object, prone on a large fallen trunk 
of a tree with its chubby cheeks resting on the soft dimpled 
hands of its upturned, kimbowed arms, and sobbing bitterly. 
Some blackberry vines kindly surrounded the small open 
spot on the log where the little wearied sufferer lay, covering 
the intervening space between the small opening and his 
seemingly vigilant protectors, quietly chewing their cud, and 
tacitly saying touch him if you dare! While just beyond 
was a dark bluff more than a hundred and fifty feet high, at 
the base of which runs a large creek, whose waters are many 
feet deep. The leave taking of its little playmates; the 
wanderings of those little blistered feet; the emotions and 
hopes that must have swelled the breast of that lost child ; 



my pen fails to indite. The rescuer pressed his heels into 
the flanks of the horse, which dashed forward, scattering 
the cattle, parting the briars and on alongside of the log and 
startled child ; gently and kindly picking the child up and 
placing it on the horse, turning his head toward home rode 
rapidly through the open forest until he reached the open 
road, yelling that the child was found, which was caught up 
and successfully proclaimed, until most of the hunters re- 
turned during the night ; many not returning until late the 
next day. The horse flew rapidly along the newly made 
road and soon delivered the lost child into its mother's arms, 
whose tears of grief and sorrow were soon turned to those 
of heart-felt gratitude and joy. The invalid mother, elder 
sister and grand parents so early in life taught the child to 
read, write and cipher that it has no recollection of the oc- 
currence ; but it does distinctly recollect how it had to re- 
main in doors and study assiduously to learn its lessons and 
recite them regularly for many years ; playing at intervals 
with it's other brothers and sisters, (it being the fourth, or 
middle child of seven that finally attained maturity), its lit- 
tle neighbor playmates that occasionally came to visit them 
and also the servant children of the family ; severely paying 
the penalty at times when it would get into quarrels, or dif- 
ficulties with its little playmates, or in any way violate its 
mother's rules or commands ; who, indeed, was a righteous 
instructor, prudent and kind mother. 

One bright, balmy Sabbath afternoon when many friends 
had gathered at the hospitable new home to enjoy each 
others' society and while away the lovely spring hours, as 
there was much poultry about the place and it was customary 
for the children about the rural Southern homes to gather the 
eggs that were so profusely scattered around the house, out 
houses, barns, etc., the little fellow discovered an old goose, 
on its nest and taking a seat near by beneath the dense 
shade of a beautiful cedar tree, thought to watch the goose, 
so when she quit the nest, he could first get the egg, and have 
the honor of carrying it to his grand-mother, he fell asleep. 
(While asleep his father, who had watched the little child, 
when the goose had quit the nest took out the egg and care- 
fully covered the place where the egg lay, as the goose is 
very careful to cover up it's eggs and conceal them from view) 
When the little fellow awoke and found the goose gone, he 
carefully examined the nest and no egg was to be found, he 
proceeded to the parlor where all were gathered and chatting 
jovially together. When the child's father asked him what 
he had done with the goose egg, he straightened himself up 
and throwing his little discomfitted head to one side answered 



very quickly and audibly to that elite assembly : "Shucks ! 

That old goose just set flat on her d d old a e and 

never laid a sign of an egg; she was just making pretense 
like." The explosion that followed was terrific and the lit- 
tle innocent, (who had likely heard such language used by 
some of the servants on the place) greatly wondered what 
such a remark had created. When he was ordered out of the 
room, quietly explained how he had violated the rules of 
etiquette, chastised and told never to repeat such language 
again, a lesson had been taught and ever afterwards he was 
more careful in his language and thought before he spoke. 
He did many little things unwittingly that were wrong, for 
which he was at times severely reprimanded ; until when 
things were frequently misplaced, or any mischief was done, 
he was the accused ; to which the children about the place 
would declare their innocence and his guilt ; when he would 
have to pay the penalty ; when in sheer defense and his pun- 
ishment was too great, he would become morose and sol- 
itary in his habits, would wander off into the beautiful woods 
and watch for hours the domestic and wild animals, fowls, 
birds, reptiles and insects of all kinds common to his home, 
and it's surroundings, in their antics, diversions and manner 
of feeding and hunting and procuring their food for present 
use and also storing it away for future use ; also, he would 
wander along the verdant banks of the streams in 
the spring and summertime, when the waters were not 
swollen and muddy, but clear, and when they rippled over 
the rocks or shoally places or fell down a cascade, forming 
deep holes below ; watch the fish sporting and feeding in 
their native elements ; and though a mere boy he would seek 
the society of those of mature years and spend his leisure 
time ; especially along with the overseer, who seemed always 
glad to have his company and tried in many ways to shield 
him from punishment. Though he never liked farming, his 
constant company with the overseer and hands, soon caused 
him to be singled out as the farmer of the family ; and to the 
field he was thenceforward encouraged to go, and to make 
the thing more positive, about that time a phrenologist 
came along and in examining the heads of the family and 
issuing each one a chart, pronounced him the farmer boy ; to 
which the father always demurred and wanted to send him 
to the mercantile college ; while the wealthiest farmer in the 
country, (and who had three shares in the college), and hav- 
ing no boys at that time to send ; told the child's father to 
send him to college and he would not only foot the bills, but 
when he had advanced as far as he could there, he would send 
him to higher Universities until he had slaked his thirst for 



knowledge in the best Universities of earth. Such were the 
conflicting views of those that semed interested in the future 
welfare of the child ; so soon to be blasted in the political 
upheavals of the nation. During his boyhood days his great 
uncle would take him into the mountains to drive the dry 
cattle to and from the range.during the spring,summer and fall 
seasons, where every two weeks or oftener they would go 
hunt them up, drive them to the nearest lick logs and salt 
them, and drive home any cows found with young calves for 
milking purposes, during their hunts for cattle they saw 
many beautiful deer, some frightened by their approach, and 
others quietly feeding, while others still, were gamboling and 
playing around in the utmost glee, cutting all kinds of fan- 
tastic capers and antics ; also many wild turkeys, the finest 
of all birds. During the fall, large droves of wild pigeons, 
the fox, grey and an occasional black squirrel, which would 
chatter away and bark at them as they passed they were so 
gentle. Now and then they would discover wild bee trees ; 
and watch them while they were busily engaged making 
honey to feed them through the following winter, or sliding 
off their horses at some grassy spot at some deep, transparent 
pool on some mountain stream at noon, eat their lunch and 
rest their jaded animals ; then throwing the remaining 
.rrumbs into the pool, Avatch the gentle iish as they eagerly 
caught and swollowed them. As the great uncle was fleshy, 
quite old and eyesight greatly impaired, he seldom carried a 
gun but rode a gentle, sure-footed mule over the steep, 
sidling, intricate wild mountain paths and passes, holes and 
occasional bogs, and the child could not then well manage a 
gun and mule and carry the luncheon and salt pouch for 
salting the cattle, so the game of all kinds seemed to know 
them and would not shun them. During travels and hunts 
through the mountains ; the old uncle would tell the child 
many stories and anecdotes of his past life that happened 
at his different homes among the Indians, and during his 
overland trip to Sante Fe, N. M., with the first expedition 
sent there by the United States government. About this 
time in life the overseer, who was quite fond of a nicely 
cleaned, salted, frosted and well baked o'possum (for it 
was customary to hunt them after the persimmons were 
ripe and sugary ; the wild winter grapes had shriveled and 
sweetened ; the winter huckleberry sugared ; the little red 
sugar haw, the large red or apple haw, the long black haw 
which had a long seed which was very palatable ; the large 
luscious papaw, a taste to be cultivated which when liked 
was very nourishing ; the large luscious muscadine ; and 
nuts of many various kinds ; the hickory nut of several 



varieties ; the hazel nut ; the beech nut ; the chest-nut ; the 
chinquapin ; the post oak and white oak acorns ; all of which 
were ripening and falling as the beautiful autumnal tints 
were appearing and betokening the ripening in the beautiful 
valley, and the joy that seemed to thrill all nature at the ap- 
proach of the happy harvest time, and the birds, animals 
and fish of all kinds soon became fat, healthy and palatable,) 
and who had a very fine dog, which seemed to do the every 
bidding of his master ; would take hunts at nights, accompani- 
ed by the boy and the dog, and seemed to be perfectly hap- 
py in their company ; as the cool nights were approaching, 
and the cold nipping frosts crispped the leaves and blades of 
trees, bushes, shrubs, vines and grass, seered, tinted and 
deadened them ; and fast approaching wintry blasts rudely 
detatched and rattled them and their ripening edible, invit- 
ing fruits upon the ground and the insects, lizards and 
snakes of all kinds had retired to their wintry homes, so 
that there was no danger of coming in contact with their 
venomous stings, nippers and more dreaded fangs. Before 
they would leave for their night hunt after supper was over, 
they would build a good fire in the overseer's office and bank 
in the ashes a nice lot of sweet potatoes (that during .the 
day the child would invariably provide in some unaccountable 
mysterious way, by filching them from the bank) which was 
invariably under lock and key, and the overseer would wink 
at and be very careful not to question him about, so that 
when anything might come up about any missing potatoes 
in future, he would not know how or where they were 
procured ; so when they returned generally bringing back 
with them two or more fat 'possums, the first act would be 
to draw the well roasted, soft, sugary potatoes from the 
bank to cool, while the child would study his lessons for a 
while and the overseer would regale himself with the pipe, 
get his song book and sing one or more religious songs. 
The boy and adult occupying the opposite sides of the fire- 
place and the intelligent black and tan, heavy built part cur 
and part hound occupied the open middle space in front of the 
fire, reclining at full length upon his side on the bare floor, 
his pedal extremities thrust toward the heat as if resting 
from the fatigue of the hunt ; when an occasional twich of his 
toes and jaws, the contraction of its lateral, corporal, and its 
nasal, eyelid and facial moustache at intervals, and then sud- 
denly and violently all at once, strongly indicated it was 
dreaming of its many hunts, the varieties of game it had en- 
countered, and final struggle for the mastery, either with or 
without the aid of it's master, it's bristles all standing out, 
'twould leap to its feet, utter a sudden growl, open its eyes, 

8 



awake, survey the surrounding home-like scene in the bright 
dazzling light of the resinous, glowing heat of the pine knots, 
look first at the child, then at the master and then at the cool- 
ing potatoes, wag its tail, having attracted it's comrades, 
quietly await the result, when invariably the potatoes were 
rapidly picked up, peeled and some of the slightly smoking, 
partly cooled, palatable pulp of those luscious sweet Span- 
ish or yam potatoes, were cheerfully divided and given as 
they were eaten to the faithful dog, as they chatted about 
their hunt, the events of the past day upon the farm or plan- 
ned for the future; when they would read several chapters 
in the Bible, comment on them in their natural simplicity, 
kneel, pray and retire to rest on a neat soft feather bed and 
pillows, supplied with plenty of clean sheets, blankets and 
quilts, and seemingly more brotherly than real brothers, and 
the faithful dog went to his pallet to take his watch and rest 
for the balance of the night. 

Early in the morning at 4 o'clock when the overseer 
arose, the little fellow would awake refreshed and invigor- 
ated by a sound, peaceful, healthful, dreamless sleep, and 
after making a fire the overseer awoke the servants ; some, 
the females, to prepare breakfast and the males to assist in 
feeding the animals and prepare wood and kindling for the 
following night, and the many other little chores about the 
farm preparatory to work on the plantation during the day. 
The little fellow would accompany the overseer down through 
the fine apple orchard, generally the trees were laden with 
ripe, mellow apples, and continually ripening apples at that 
season, also the bell-pears and fall peaches, of which they 
would invariably eat their fill, on their way to unlock the 
crib to feed the stock of all kind as well as poultry, eating 
the ripe mellow apples before breakfast must have been very 
healthful, as they were generally healthy at that season of 
the year, when many families seemed to be suffering from 
fevers and chills during that season of the year. 

About once a week they would go to the clear, still, 
deep mill pond and go in bathing taking several dives and 
swims, generally Saturday afternoons, and preparatory to 
their Sabbath morning preparations for Sabbath school and 
church, which they attended regularly and seemed to enjoy; 
as well as the entire community, white and black, at that 
season. They would generally get rivalries among the hands 
to see who could pick the most cotton for a cash wager, gen- 
erally offered them by the proprietors, who seemed to be as 
deeply interested as their servants, and allow them to have 
a nice supper and dance, and all seemed to pass off so nicely, 
one never seeing any drunkeness, quarreling or fighting; and 



then when well up with their work, or after a rain or during 
a light drizzling rainy spell, they would go a netting, catch 
several coveys of partridges, turn a pair loose from each 
drove netted to restock the farm and woods for the coming 
year, by which means the game was kept plentiful ; or hie 
off to the hills and mountains with the guns- and dogs of the 
community and all of the young boys large enough of both 
colors, and young men, to participate in the chase ; and while 
those who were old enough and had experience, and occasion- 
ally a new beginner, were placed on stands by an experienced 
hunter ; another experienced hunter would take the boys and 
placing them on the horses, with all the dogs following, and 
horns swinging from their shoulders, make a grand detour 
and with as formidable a line as they could make, so as to 
cover and arouse all the game as they moved abreast through 
the forests, thickets and jungles. Soon the noise and din 
made by the drivers by blowing their horns, encouraging 
their dogs, soon aroused the startled, trembling game, which 
passing through the stands, many fell, or are wounded by 
the unerring fire of the standers, when the wounded are pur- 
sued unerringly by their blood and the trained hounds and 
dogs aud are soon dispatched. When in great glee they all 
gather to return to their happy homes to enjoy the nice fresh 
meat, for some would be venison, turkey and squirrels, and 
an occasional wild hog. Usually before parting when there 
were several hunters or families represented ; the meat of the 
various kinds, would be divided as equally as possible into 
piles and each representative of a family would turn their 
backs and one of the party would place a hand on one of the 
piles of meat and call out: "Who will take this pile?" The 
first one to call I, received it, and so on with all the piles, 
until the last pile, which fell to the last unsupplied represen- 
tative ; and all seemingly satisfied would gather their meat, 
put it in provided sacks, which were generally put on the 
mules which the boys rode, and all chatting about >the drive 
and hunts andtelling anecdotes and jokes on each other, of form- 
er times and hunts, move rapidly in the direction of homes. 
About this time in his boyhood days one afternoon the hogs 
came through the orchard into the yard, and the rapidly 
growing boy proceeded to run them out, pursuing a large 
hog down the path, through the high weeds into the orchard, 
running at his best speed and calling the dogs, seeing a nice 
round stone the size of a dried walnut in the path ; to stop 
suddenly, he threw his feet forward and open, and grabbed 
the stone with his right hand ; a fine young cur dog of good 
size, coming at full speed along the path in his rear, ran un- 
der the boy and tossing him high into the air, the boy fell 

10 



and caught on his left hand, breaking his rist, and dislocat- 
ing some of the small bones, from which he never recovered 
in more than six months, and greatly impaired his general 
health. 

The following summer the young men of the neighborhood 
went into the mountains to a nice sulphur spring to hunt and 
recreate. They took the boy along with them thinking it 
would help him, for he could remain around camps, and it 
was supposed that camp life and fresh game to eat occasion- 
ally would restore him to his usual health. On their way to 
their rendeyvouse at the spring, the dogs bayed quite a drove 
of wild hogs ; he was traveling in the wagon that carried the 
tenting, sleeping and cooking outfit; leaping out of the wagon 
he approached the hunters and dogs to see the fun, when the 
whole drove of hogs made a break through the hunters and 
came in his direction, there was no escape but to climb the 
trunk of a large pine that had partly fallen and lodged in 
the strong fork of another tree ; the frightened boy climbed 
the fallen tree and the hogs took refuge under it, brayed by 
the dogs, and surrounded again by the hunters ; in the ex- 
citement the boy slipped and fell off the slick pine bark 
of the tree right among the hogs ; when the faithful, strong 
and courageous o'possum dog that happened to be along 
rushed to his rescue, almost simultaneously the hunters club- 
bing their guns, and the other dogs following, charged the 
hogs and drove them off, but not until the boy received the 
most dreadful hurt of his life. His wrist being rebroken 
and dislocated, the arm partly perishing away and never re- 
covering its former strength and size, though about the 
right length, and not easily detected although really affecting 
that side of his body. As they were not very far from the 
spring, and there were several young doctors among the 
party, they proceeded there as rapidly as possible, set and 
bandaged his arm, bathed it for hours at a time in the cool 
spring branch just below the spring for about two weeks, 
when fever set in and he was carried home for better treat- 
ment, both as to nursing and medicine ; for months he suf- 
fered before he was allowed to do anything or study ; really 
retting nature take its course. The boy was now for the first 
time sent to school, about a quarter of a mile distant ; as he 
had studied spelling, reading, writing, grammar, arithmetic, 
geography and history and was as well advanced or better 
than many of his age, he had no trouble keeping up with the 
studies. At home it was his duties in the morning to keep 
off the calves, drive the cows to water and then to pasture ; 
feed and attend to the chickens. The same after school in 
the evening, excepting having to drive the cows home from 

II 



the pasture, which generally occupied all his time from day- 
light to school time and from school out 'till night. With 
the exception of attending to the cows and poultry, on Sat- 
urday, without he had to do some gardening, he was allowed 
to hunt and fish some, which was the only diversion or re- 
creation he received. He was forced to go regularly to both 
Sabbath school, church and prayer meeting on the Sabbath 
and to read moral books, or study his Sabbath school lessons. 
Morality became natural, he shunned every vice or evil that 
presented itself, using his influence among his playmates. 
He was taught to treasure his spare moments by work or 
studying some good history or biographical work, encouraged 
to read the Christian Advocate and Southern Cultivator and 
Harper's Story Books and Magazines. He was paid for 
attending to the cattle and chickens and he took the money 
and paid for his own tuition ; thereby helping his kind father, 
who had received great financial reverses, and had quite a 
large expensive family, and when vacation came he went to 
the field of choice to help make a living and assist the family 
all in his power. His father became agent of a plank road 
with a good salary; his. sisters and brothers that were old 
enough were sent regularly to school. His invalid mother, 
(who was not able to keep house without the assistance of 
the older girls who were kept at school) moved to her father's 
with the small children, where they could have both of their 
grand parents, the father and mother, to have their only liv- 
ing child properly cared for and waited on and govern the 
smaller grand children during the absence of their father 
while acting agent. The father of the boy was then trans- 
ferred or secured an agency at the -head or terminus of the 
first railroad being built into that section of the country, and 
to give perfect satisfaction, as he retained the position for 
years ; during which time the boy grew rapidly, while he 
attended school, gardened, looked after the farm, and during 
vacation, worked regularly on the farm, taking the overseer's 
place ; to the great delight of the servants, for as he worked 
with them, and was with them so much, being encouraged to 
lay hold and really experience the toil, tediousness, burden, 
or pain of each undertaking ; so that the servants learned to 
love him, whether they loved their task or not, and glad at 
all times to see him approaching or be with them during their 
work, ever greeting each other with a smile; at night by the 
fire light in their cabins he would teach them how to read, 
write and cipher and discuss various subjects and never dis- 
agreeing or becoming miffed ; the males often kneeling for 
prayer and retiring while he was in their rooms, for the 
males roomed to themselves, that were single, and the girls 

12 



to themselves and the married couples to themselves, keeping 
the infants and small children and infants with the parents, 
so they could look after them and give them any attention if 
of the mornings or evenings he would work a while in his 
they needed it. The grand father being very old, in the cool 
garden, which was highly fertilized and spaded down to the 
depth of ten or more inches, and as he couldn't stoop easily 
would call the little children and show them how to plant or 
sow the seed in the drills he had made, or set out young 
plants, would make them sow the seed and set out the plants 
for him. He was truly a patriarch that all seemed to rever- 
ence and love, near and far, for great piety, probity and hon- 
esty, also profound knowledge and erudition. He was pos- 
itive and humane, and all, white and black, were willing to 
refer any troubles or disputes to him, and all sought him for 
advice, invariably satisfied with his decisions. He was a 
minister and senator and was as great a power there, even 
excelling. Under the influence of such a grand parent, the 
hoy or lad at this time, gained solid information as he was 
always encouraged to read good, standard works, of which 
the grandfather had a fine collection, and nothin obscene 
or fictitious were allowed on the premises, as calculated to 
waste time and mislead. 

Chesterfield was studied as a guide to etiquette, and no 
lady visitor, young or old, either approaching or leaving the 
premises were allowed to pass out or in through the gate to 
the threshold, when the lad was about the house ; but that he 
must see them through the gate and on to the threshold, and 
even so far as to their threshold if not otherwise accompani- 
ed or provided with an escort on leaving. Thus he mixed 
and commingled with all classes, even with the servants, 
and the influence exerted on him, and he on them, was of the 
most refining nature. Politics ran high in those days and 
when a distinguished Presidential candidate visited his state, 
a free ride was given over the railroad to the city where he 
was to speak. The lad and one of his classmates went ac- 
companied by his grandfather's carriage driver and waiting 
boy. It was the first time the lad had ever been so far from 
home or ridden on a railroad. So when he and his comrade 
had returned, and who by the bye had stopped all night with 
him. Avery shrewd mechanic who was working for his father, 
the next morning at the breakfast table (which was crowded 
with attendants, especially several of their young lady com- 
panions), spoke very audibly and asked if they had really 
heard what really took place after the speaking ; when many 
had gathered around the distinguished speaker to be intro- 
duced, they were in the crowd also; and after the introduc- 

13 



tions, they being slighted, the lad stepped up to the distin- 
guished candidate, grasped the distinguished candidate's 
hand, saying: "Mr. President, have you seen anything of 
Joe?" "What Joe?" "Grandpa's Joe." "No sir, I haven't 
seen anything of him." "Well, I thought he would lose me; 
look, Mr. President, if the world's as big this way and that 

way as it is from here home, it's a h 1 of a big world 

isn't it?" "I presume so, sir." The lad's face flushed deep- 
ly as he became the butt of all eyes ; but was soon relieved 
by his joke on the lad's comrade which followed like a flash. 
The comrade, who just before he had taken the trip, had been 
told by his preceptor, (as he had grossly violated some of the 
rules of the school) that he could take a whipping or leave 
school ; as the comrade did not want to be expelled and go off 
to school some where else and give up all his old associates 
that were so dear to him, he submitted to the castigation. So 
the comrade stepped forward and also grasped the candidate's 
hand and asked: "Mr. President, is it right for one free man to 
whip another?" Hesitating a moment, he answered very em- 
phatically, "No sir." "Well, my professor has been giving me 

h 1 any way," which was so ridiculous that the lad by this 

time discovering it was a joke, joined the rest in enjoying so 
good jokes, so deftly perpetrated on him and his companion ; 
while the comrade who had at the first joke joined with the 
rest at the discomfiture of the lad, in turn had his beaming 
face suffused with blushes to the merriment of all. One day 
while at work with the hands on the farm the lad (as he was 
always taught business before pleasure) heard an unearthly 
screaming in the direction of the mill (where the boys and 
girls of the community were having a picnic) calling to the 
young negro men to follow, with all speed they hastened to 
the scene, and arrived just in time to finish getting some young 
ladies and men out of the water where the boat had been 
turned over in near fifteen feet of water, after passing over 
the mill dam ; which was ever after alluded to as "that dam 
scrape." The section of country in which he lived during 
the spring and summer was visited by storms. On one oc- 
casion when the lowlands were greatly inundated news reach- 
ed the lad that his father in leaping from the train in motion 
as it was gradually slowing for him to jump off: (as the em- 
bankment was very slippery and muddy) had fallen and dis- 
located his shoulder joint ; had been moved into a neighbor's 
house near by, and about three and one half miles distant 
across a large creek, then out of its banks and rapidly rising. 
The rain was falling in torrents; saddling his horse under the 
shed, donning his rubber suit, and bidding all good-bye, he 
mounted and hastened to the physicians. The physician ob- 



jected to turning out on such a night, as not an object could 
be discerned except during the flashes of the lightening, he 
pleaded that his father was advanced in years, if the joint was 
not reset before it was too badly swollen, it would in all proba- 
bility never be set and then if done, might endanger his life, 
that he would lead the way. They started ; when they arrived at 
the bridge across the large creek it was out of its banks; pas- 
sing through water saddle skirts deep, the road being graded 
through the bottoms and ditches being on either side swim- 
ming, it was very hazardous, nothing daunted, he pushed for- 
ward only thinking of the suffering parent, and securing in 
time the services of the kind, experienced surgeon ; he advanc- 
ed cautiously step by step as the rain seemed to fall in tor- 
rents, the doctor on his horse following, the vivid lightning 
incessantly playing and the continuous roar of the deafening 
thunderbolts, as they scattered leaves, limbs and fragments of 
the trunks of giants of the forest around them ; the quivering, 
cringing terror of the affrighted animals they rode, the pass- 
ing over prostrate trunks of trees across the road, occasionally 
running against their upturned roots, made it a scene truly 
appaling to the stouttst hearts. Finally they reached the 
house with a bright glowing fire inside and all trying to wait 
on and relieve in any way they knew how the suffering, badly 
bruised old man ; on examining their watch they had just 
been three hours and a half making the trip from the doctor's. 
Laying aside their rubbers, after giving orders to heat water 
to the boiling stages. The surgeon pulled off his boots, got 
up on the bed, had the water as hot as the old man could bear 
it poured copiously upon the now fast swelling joint, until the 
flesh commenced flabbing, placing his foot between the arms 
and body and taking the extended arm by the wrist and hand, 
pushing the heel of the foot up under the arm and pulling it 
as steadily and as hard as was necessary, the oshumerous or 
larger bone of the arm was reset in th humeral cavity, then 
dressing it, and bandaging it, and leaving directions how to 
attend to the patient until his return, the surgeon turning to 
the youth, (whom he extolled to the suffering parent and kind 
family as having the stoutest heart and firmest resolve of any 
one he had met, with his youth and physique ; and that he 
could never have made the trip without his aid and presence) 
told him that the family would take good care of his father, 
which all quietly acquiesed in, assuring the now almost heart- 
broken youth (at the thought of leaving his father when he 
was the only relative near to administer to his every want) 
that he should be properly and kindly cared for and to ac- 
company the doctor back ; as the storm was still raging with- 
out, and was one of the severest that had ever visited that 
section as the doctor had stated that it was imperative for 

15 



him to return to look after some very important cases, the 
youth, whose soft cheeks were now copiously bathed in tears, 
kissed his father good-bye and shook hands as a parting adieu 
with each member of the family ; donned his rubbers again, 
mounted his horse that had been drying and resting 
under the shed during their stay turned the head of his 
horse toward home, gave it the reins, when it seemingly grop- 
ed its way through the blinding flashes and intervening im- 
penetrable darkness over prostrate trunks, into swimming 
holes and splashing, gurgling waters, until they finally by 
the aid of their intelligent horses, discovered by the light of 
the oft repeating lightning, they had arrived at the floating 
end of the bridge, alighting on its end which sunk a few inches 
into the water and holding on to his horse's bridle rein, en- 
couraged him to mount it ; the horse sprang upon the bridge ; 
when the combined weight sunk the end of the Bridge almost 
into its accustomed bfed, when the doctor's animal easily 
moved onto the bridge ; and they passed safely across ; when 
they passed over the last mile of their journey without en- 
countering many more such difficulties and dangers ; arriving 
about 3 o'clock a. m. In after years the doctor and youth 
often referred to this night as the most appaling and thrilling 
trip of their lives, which was strengthening, hardening, 
toughening and preparing this youth's life for untold achieve- 
ments in the future. 

The wealthiest man of the county, who was a particular 
friend of the youth's father, now told him to send the boy to 
college, that he would foot the bill. The youth was provided 
with a fine horse and rode every day from his grand-father's, a 
distance of five miles. School hours were from 7 o'clock a. 
m. until half past 9 o'clock a. m., then half an hour recess ; then 
fro 10 o'clock a. m. until 12 o'clock m., then noon until half 
past 1 o'clock, from then until recess at 3 130 o'clock until 4 
o'clock p. m., then books again until 6 o'clock p. m.. So most of 
his time was occupied attending school and riding two and 
from college in the early morning and late evening; riding 
most of the time in a gallop or otherwise rapidly, which was 
healthful exercise. The youth was then tolerably well ad- 
vanced, studying Davie's academic arithmetic, algebra, 
geometry, chemistry, latin, Greek and spelling, reading, writ-* 
ing and grammar in more advanced series, composition 
and declintion. Once at public gathering of the patrons, 
when all of the exercises were over except a trial in 
orthography. One of his college mates and the youth 
were selected to lead in the spelling trial, first one 
and then the other chos their fellow mates, until all were 
chosen or drawn. The contest commenced and continued 

16 



until all of the youth's company were silenced, when the pro- 
fessor asked him if he was satisfied ; (as the captain and 
eight of the best spellers were standing on the other side). 
The youth remarked that he was badly beaten but was not 
conquered. The excitement ran high. The patrons, (except- 
ing the wealthy one who was sending him to college) insisted 
on continuing the contest to the finish ; they continued ; the 
youth slowly silenced four of the opposition. The professor 
became wearied and suggested that it was growing late, the 
patrons still insisted on going on. The President stepped 
forward and relieved the professor by taking the dictionary 
and continued. Gradually the youth silenced all but the cap- 
tain. When the President suggested it might be called a 
draw ; when the wealthy patron who had been silent until now 
arose and stated : "I have more shares in the college and live 
at a greater distance than anyone here ; he acknowledged at 
the proper time he was beaten ; and you have thrust this thing 
upon the boy, and I equally admire his worthy competitor, 
let it be fought to a finish ; and let the two now equal show 
their staying qualities." It was not long until the youth 
silenced his worthy competitor, amid the shouts of victory on 
his side ; and the President stated they were the brightest and 
most studious and he felt the final test without accident, 
would fall to them. 

Fanatics on either side of Mason and Dixon's line, led on 
by some real, but most generally fancied wrongs, or securi- 
ties, had so muddled the political horizon, that the tocsin of 
war was soon sounded, when the most prosperous, wealthy 
(according to population) supposedly peaceful nation on 
earth was soon arrayed in deadly internecine strife that noth- 
ing could avert. Even the beautiful Goddess of Liberty 
sat with disheveled hair and disconcereted, melancholy mien, 
as she surveyed the terrible carnage ; as columns after columns 
of her loyal, proud, valiant sons were hurled against each other 
and fell in mortal combat to rise no more. The first battle 
of Manasses or Bull's Run had just been fought. Two of the 
youth's cousins and playmates were missing after the battle 
and were reported as either captured or killed, both opposing 
armies called for reinforcements. The youth who had been 
drilling in a cavalry company now volunteered to go to the 
front; his father asked him if he had volunteered; he told 
him yes. "Why son, have you done so, knowing your father 
is opposed to the way that the war has been precipitated on 
the people. Why not wait and let those that have brought on 
the war go first; there will be plenty of time yet for you?" 
"Papa, they have killed or captured my two cousins and I am 
going to have revenge." The youth's father dropped his head 

17 



and uttered a disapproving sigh. His company was soon 
ordered to the front. The youth had just entered his nine- 
teenth year; and on the 2nd of September they entered the 
then neutral state of Kentucky. After the neutrality had been 
violated by the Federal government by a force entering it 
from the North at Paducah ; a citizen courier having brought 
a dispatch from Paducah to Union City, Tenn., where the 
Southern forces were encamped. It seems his company 
were ordered to take position at Columbus, Ky., where the 
infantry and artillery soon came forward and mounted some 
batteries just above the place, which commanded the river 
for many miles. The Mississippi at that point was 1200 
yards wide and 160 feet deep ; the narrowest and deepest place 
on the river from Cairo, the confluence of the Mississippi and 
Ohio to its mouth near 1200 miles. Many times the Federal 
gunboats would come down, exchange a few shots and then 
return up the river. One day when the Confederates had 
about 1000 men on the opposite side of the river cutting 
down the timber, so, I suppose, the Federals could be more 
easily discovered; Gen. U. S. Grant came down on that side 
of the river and disembarking his troops he tried to surprise 
and capture them. Troops were thrown across the river 
from the Columbus side and Gen. Pillow soon routed them 
and run them on to their transports and it was called the 
battle of Belmont. A force being established at a place called 
Camp Beauregard on the Paducah branch of the Mobile & 
Ohio railroad, his command was stationed there until the Con- 
federate forces evacuated Columbus and fell back to Union 
City, Tenn. where the youth for the first time saw Gen. Beau- 
regard who was standing on the platform of the depot (seem- 
ingly just arrived) who inquired of his captain : "Have all the 
troops evacuated Columbus, Captain?" "Yes sir." "My name 
is Beauregard* Take your command and proceed back as 
rapidly as you can and if the enemy haven't occupied 
the place, take possession of it and notify me immediately, and 
I will forward troops to reinvest it. You have given up the 
Sebastopol of America." The general pronounced the word 
or name as if it was spelled and accented thus, Se-vas-to-p'l, 
which made such an impression on the youth that he never 
forgot it and in after years he studied the Munson's system 
of Phonography when he discovered the general was correct. 
The little city and fort was not only occupied but they met 
scouts seven or eight miles south of Columbus in the direction 
they had retreated. 

Gen. A. S. Johnson having massed all of his forces around 
Corinth, Miss., the youth's immediate command was posted 
on the Purdy and McAdamsville road on the extreme left. 

18 



The Federal and Confederate forces having had several sharp 
picket and scouting collisions ; his adjutant when sending out 
the pickets one morning told them to be very careful and to 
be sure and put all of the gray or white horses when on picket 
in the rear so they could not be so easily detected in the dark, 
and then shook hands very cordially with each one, remark- 
ing very feelingly and impressively : "Some of you I never 
expect to shake hands with any more." As they rode out to 
relieve the other pickets, there was much dissatisfaction man- 
ifested at the white horse shield or protection. When it came 
time for the youth's relief to go on guard; his was the only 
white horse, no one offered to go to the front ; the youth took 
in the situation, as two pickets stood at each post some one 
would have to go with him. He rode to the front remarking: 
"the federal who captured him or his horse would do more 
than any had done yet. (It was the hour of 8 o'clock P. M. 
and the night was dark and clear, towards the latter part of 
March). A tall Mississippian rode up by his side and said, "I'll 
stand by you and see you through ; we'll make it hot for who- 
ever gets us." The commands had all been on double duty, 
and nature gave way through sheer exhaustion, and the re- 
serve fell asleep, officers and men. According to military rule, 
two hours on duty and four hours off; so the youth's relief 
was on until 3 o'clock A. M. During the 7 hours, parties ap- 
proached the youth and his comrade between 11 and 12 
o'clock on their right ; the youth detected them first ; halted 
and fired on them first, when they scampered off discomfitted. 
Then they were approached on their left hand ; the youth de- 
tected them first again, halted and fired on them, running 
them off again ; the second and third pickets were kept on the 
alert all the time, expecting every moment to be attacked ; so 
when the relief finally came, and were told that the pickets 
had fired twice in the advance, they approached very cautious- 
ly; but as usual the youth had to satisfy them he, as well as 
they were all right, and told them to advance one at a time 
until all were rigidly examined ; when he was relieved, he 
and his comrade were accused of having given a false alarm, 
and that they had fired at some stray dog or hog; so when 
light came, not having slept all night he told the guard that 
he would go with them to the front, and examine and see if 
he could find any signs of the enemy, where he had shot. The 
parties that approached from the right came within about 30 
yards, and the tracks of three men were traced for a short 
distance, and a cartridge box was found on the ground loaded 
with cartridges ; then they examined on the left, and in less 
than 10 feet tracks were found and followed a short distance, 
when they found a cartridge box, belt and knapsack, out of 

19 



which the youth got 15 cents in silver, a blouse, shirt, &c. ; so 
he was not accused any longer. He and his comrade having 
heard bodies of troops moving in advance just before day, 
told the officer of the guard, who was a sargeant, to let him 
have one man and that he would move down the main road 
and see what he could find, calling to an old desk mate that 
was along with the guard and who was well mounted, to come 
and go with them. They proceeded about 200 yards, when 
they discovered that a body of horsemen, apparently amount- 
ing to a half regiment, had moved up a hollow, through the 
woods, and along over the soft surface to the right ; they 
followed until they came in sight of two cavaliers, who de- 
tected them about the same time, when they exchanged shots, 
the Federals following in the wake of their main body and 
the three pickets returning to report as rapidly as possible, 
that they were crossing to the other road, that ran almost 
parallel with the main road, and intersected it about a mile 
in the rear. There were 22 pickets in all, and as fast as their 
animals could carry them they rode to reach and pass the 
intersection of the two roads before the Federal column's 
head could reach there. As they passed over the hill, across 
the fields to their left they could distinctly see the Federal 
column moving rapidly off to their left in the same direction. 
The pickets were going at full speed, when the head of the 
column of Federals struck the rear of the pickets, just where 
the roads intersected ; there was a long mud hole, the collision 
unhorsed several pickets as well as Federals, muddying and 
disfiguring them so badly that several escaped during the 
jam. As the by-road came into the main road almost at right 
angles, which gave the pickets a good start, while the Federal 
column was recovering and reforming, as the retreat and fight 
of the pickets was now through an open country ; the youth 
and his deskmate were the best mounted, and, reloading their 
double barrel guns would take their stands, and as the last 
of the fleeing pickets would pass them, they would deliver 
four shots of buck and ball at the head of the Federal col- 
umn, which invariably checked them for a few moments, 
when they would wheel, drop their reins across their saddle 
pommels, when their horses, being trained to the race track, 
soon flew past their fleeing comrades, during which time 
they reloaded at full speed. By this means they covered 
the retreat for near two miles, when the youth's horse be- 
came crippled in left hind leg, when his desk mate remained 
by his side until two Federals better mounted than the 
others got within easy range ; the youth had nearly gained 
the crest of a steep hill, when his deskmate presented his 
gun at the two Federals, who reined up their horses, and 



20 



fired both barrels of his gun. The youth held his fire; the 
Federals wavered and commenced reloading, as they turned 
the steep crest of the hill, his deskmate bid him good-bye, 
and flew down the hill to overtake the retreating pickets 
and reload his gun. The determined youth turned (being 
out of sight of his pursuers) his crippled horse to the right 
along the steep crest of the hill in some thick underbrush, 
and proceeded about 200 yards, dismounted, examined his 
gun and pistols, then his noble, unfortunate horse, that was 
now reeking with profuse perspiration, and resolved to die 
by him if necessary. 

Being naive, moral and pure, you can readily see the 
danger of an enemy approaching under such circumstances, 
but Deity rules, and the entire Federal command passed, 
without him or his poor fagged, cripple horse being dis- 
turbed. As soon as he and his horse were rested, leading 
him by the halter he returned late into camp, after he was 
reported captured, dead or missing at roll call. Shortly 
after this the Confederate commander drew his lines closely 
around the Federal commander's front at a point known as 
Shiloh church (and it is supposed what the Battle of Shiloh 
took its name from) ; the night before the battle, he was 
placed on guard just at dark. The videttes or pickets were 
placed so as to be called chain pickets. In placing them 
that night he was placed either accidentally or intentionally 
out of the alignment, and closer to the enemy than his own 
troops, and all night long he could hear both lines halt their 
relief, but none ever came to him ; about daylight the Con- 
federate line of battle approached and relieved him, after 
being on picket between nine and ten hours. He was order- 
ed to report back at camp, where he was sent under a Lieu- 
tenant to watch the enemy's right, and the Confederate left. 
There may have been many videttes ordered placed like he 
was. It was one of the most trying ordeals of his life, yet 
he never complained of his treatment. He also stated that 
he had often heard it stated and had seen it in print, that 
the Confederate general had no thought of fighting that bat- 
tle when he did ; and that it was an accident. He wishes to 
state emphatically that, while he does not recollect the ex- 
act words it was couched in, that a general order was read 
on Dress Parade, that the enemy had invaded our country; 
that he has penetrated far into the interior, treading upon 
our thresholds and very hearthstones, and he called upon 
all true Southern patriots to assist in driving them forever 
from our borders, and keep them out. The battle raged in 
all its fury from sunrise to near 2 o'clock ; after that time, 
broadsides from the gunboats fired at intervals all the after- 

21 



noon and through the night; until the Battle of Pittsburg 
Landing commenced the next day. As this youth was sent 
as a courier the same day, he thinks he counted 64 pieces of 
artillery captured in the battle the day before, and espec- 
ially did he notice two beautiful pieces mounted with silver 
plates, and had written on them the "Battle of Lexington." 
The youth believes that if the Confederate commander had 
have lived, he would have captured the entire Federal army. 
But Deity rules, and man has to submit to the mild man- 
dates of the Prince of Peace. After this last mentioned 
battle his command was engaged in a regular cavalry fight 
and called the Battle of Blackland, in Northeast Mississippi. 
When the battle opened his general was riding in a beauti- 
ful carriage, and his horse being led by the carriage ; he has- 
tened out of the carriage, mounted his horse, ordered his 
troopers in line of battle, whipped the enemy from every 
point of their field, captured and burned their encampments. ' 
About this time, while the Confederate army was moving 
across North Alabama, and before his command was ordered 
away from North Mississippi, where the country was very 
dry and the dust near six inches in depth, and near a half 
mile wide close to Tupelo, two cavalry commands met each 
other, and both charged each other at the same time ; they 
ran together, delivering only one volley, which seemed to 
be too high. The dust was so great that they could not dis- 
tinguish each other, when they gradually drew out, retreat- 
ing in the direction they had come ; when the casualties 
seemed to be nothing. Another general then took command 
of the cavalry. When he moved their command of cavalry 
across North Mississippi to Holly Springs, pursuing a Fed- 
eral command that had penetrated that far, on through La- 
Grange and on to Bolivar, where they had a small fight, cap- 
turing some prisoners. The youth got permission as the 
command passed through Holly Springs to get his horse 
shod. As he was going to overtake the command, he was 
passing a beautiful residence ; standing on the steps were 
two young ladies arm in arm. One of the young ladies held 
up a large ripe peach, motioned for him to stop. She then 
sent the peach by a servant girl to him, and requested him 
to send his name ; so he inquired of her the two young ladies' 
names and sent them word that when he returned, he would 
try and bring them some Yankee pets. The servant told 
him that one of the young ladies' names was Miss Fannie 
Cox, and that the other young lady was her cousin, who 
was visiting her, Miss Julia Clapp. Two or three days later 
he came back by there. Hailed ! when the young ladies ap- 
peared, and he showed them the prisoners, or pets, as he 



22 



had styled them, and had promised to bring- them, it amused 
them and the prisoners very much, as the youth related in 
his modest way the incident, and asked them if they would 
take charge of them. They told him they were not very 
well prepared to take charge of them ; but complimented 
him on fulfilling his promise. A short while after this the 
youth's and many of his comrades' horses were unfit for 
service, their clothing worn out, and they were barefooted. 
When they were sent by home to remount themselves and 
obtain shoes and clothing; as they were walking along the 
hot, dry road with their feet badly swollen and their bare 
shoulders blistered, they were a pitiable sight indeed, yet 
not a word of discontent was uttered by any, but all seemed 
to vie with each other in pressing to the front, and valiantly 
battling for Caucasian property, liberty and independence, 
counting all but dross, if it could not be accomplished. The 
world was amazed at their valor, yet clandestinely colluded 
with the arch Chieftain whose rancorous heart knew no 
bounds, as in subtlety, he reached forth his octopus-like 
feelers to encompass and thwart every effort at Caucasian 
supremacy, ranting, Union ! which was caught up and reiter- 
ated by each satellite, as they tried to force a hybrid or mon- 
grel supremacy. As the youth approached manhood, and he 
was thrown among all kinds and classes of his own, and 
other races, his views became broadened and expanded, he 
carefully studied all classes, and whenever he could borrow 
a book whose contents were unknown to him, he read it 
carefully, and upon entering houses and examining their 
books, magazines and papers, he seldom missed being able 
to tell their religious, political and business proclivities. He 
soon learned to become liberal in his views, without sacrific- 
ing his moral training, which caused him to gather much 
practical as well as theoretical information. After being 
clothed, shod, remounted and rested a few days, his com- 
mand moved northeasterly through North Alabama, enter- 
ing North-west Georgia, then East Tennessee, and on into the 
neutral State of Kentucky, where several small battles were 
fought, the most important of which was Perryville; gather- 
ed all the beef cattle, breadstuff's, &c, they could and re- 
treated out of the State. As his command had captured 
some Federal overcoats and it had turned quite cold, they 
donned the overcoats, which made them appear very much 
like a body of Federal cavalry; two leading roads converged 
and another cavalry general's command was moving on one 
of the roads ; arrived at the junction first, and soon discov- 
ered a command of "blue coats" approaching, in a sheltered 
place formed a line of battle with the object of surprising 

23 



them. When the youth's command were in easy range, the 
concealed Confederates poured into them a very deadly vol- 
ley, killing and wounding many, and but for the cool bravery 
of his colonel (who did not happen to be hit), with a great 
deal of presence of mind threw up his hands and hollowed 
loudly to his men, who were preparing to return the fire, to 
hold their fire, that they were friends, and riding in front of 
those concealed, begged them not to fire any more, that his 
command were Confederates, and not Federals. When the 
firing ceased, as well as the destruction of human and horse 
life also ceased, another closer imbruing of his Caucasian 
brother's blood in his own hands. Another scar from the 
curse of African slavery, though not so deep. The grief and 
sorrow of those unfortunate parents, who lost their idols 
there, is just as great. When the youth was remounted the 
second time, he was presented with a very fine Colt's re- 
peating rifle by his elder brother, 45-calibre, which would 
shoot a ball or slug. It was provided with two cylinders, of 
six chambers each, both of which cylinders being loaded, 
gave twelve shots in very rapid succession, making it a very 
deadly firearm, its range being very accurate and deadly for 
a quarter of a mile or more. He prized it very highly, and 
took particular pains with it, so that it was ever ready for 
use. Thousands of his fellow soldiers seeing it, tried to 
trade him out of it ; offering him many times its value. A 
gentleman retreating from the State of Kentucky, and mov- 
ing and camping with his family along with the Confederate 
army, offered the youth many times its value, and threaten- 
ed him that if he would not sell it to him, he would steal 
it from him before he ever got beyond the confines of the 
State. So on the banks of the clear, rapid, beautiful Cum- 
berland, he had a chill and was very sick ; he lay down under 
a bluff on the left side of the road on the north bank, set the 
gun against the large rock at his head, and when his chill 
and fever left him, he fell asleep, and when he awoke, his 
fine gun was gone. He rode ahead until he caught up with 
his comrades and got permission from his Colonel to watch 
the commands as they passed, and see if he could find any- 
thing or hear anything of it ; but has never heard of it to 
this day. The number of his gun he distinctly recollects, 
was 157. After the war, when relating the circumstances 
at his father's, his father informed him, that the vacant brick 
house that stood there was his great-grand-father's, and was 
the first one built west of the Cumberland mountains, by 
any of the original twelve families that were in the fort with 
Boone, he being the only one that never left the State ; hav- 
ing six grown sons and about the same number of daughters, 



24 



also eight negro men and their families, all well armed. 
Boone and his companions having all returned to Old Bun- 
comb County, N. C, excepting what were killed by the In- 
dians. When they were reinforced by such numbers from 
the Old North State, that returning to the settlement on 
the Cumberland, soon pressed forward again to the Blue 
Grass and Buffalo. He and most of General Bragg's army 
passed through the Cumberland Gap, where, he was also 
told by his father, that his grand-father once lived, and kept 
a hotel, and also had a mill, owning 3,500 acres of land, 
.which he sold for $1.00 per acre and moved to Athens, Tenn., 
and was a playmate and school mate of the little orphan 
Sam Houston and his sister, who stayed most of their time 
at his father's, and who was so gifted and popular that he 
was made governor at the age of 26, and afterwards became 
the father of Texan independence. His command then pass- 
ed over Walden's ridge, through the beautiful Sequatchie 
valley, then across the Cumberland mountains, into beauti- 
ful, pleasant, hospitable Middle Tennessee, and his General 
took position south of Nashville and north of Murfreesboro, 
keeping up 51 chain picket of near 50 miles length. Soon after 
this the youth was sent out on the main pike between Mur- 
freesboro and Nashville, their reserve camp to the right in a 
grove, and there was a large white residence on the left or 
west side of the pike. His comrades asked him to ride over 
to the house and purchase them some milk and butter. Ar- 
riving in front of the house, he started to dismount (as the 
house set back some distance from the gate) ; there was a 
lady on the veranda who spoke to him, loudly and distinctly, 
and told him not to come in the house, that she was a Union 
lady, and that she did not want rebels to come in her house ; 
that her husband was a Union man, but was dead, and that 
as she was a widow she hoped that nothing she had would 
be molested. He told her it was not his intention to intrude, 
that he only wished to buy some milk, bread or something 
out of the regular line of camp fare as a change of diet. She 
told him then to wait there and she would send him some- 
thing, which she did by a servant, with the price, and he 
sent her the money. That was the only house he had been 
refused admittance to, until that time. After the pickets 
had lunched, during which time there were many remarks at 
the strange reception he had met with, and to whether it was 
safe to eat the food or not ; the Federals fired on our pickets 
and the line commenced falling back until the premises all 
fell into the hands of the Federals. Soon the rattle of mus- 
ketry brought the Confederate picketing General and his 
flying artillery to the front, when the Federals were soon in 

25 



turn on the retreat, about which time a dense heavy smoke 
was seen in the direction of where the house stood; when 
the Confederates returned, the youth, who was now ac- 
quainted, approached the beautiful paling fence again, where 
the beautiful residence once stood ; there were smoldering 
embers, and just on the inside of the fence the lady of the 
house was sitting on a trunk and a faithful old negress sit- 
ting on the ground beside the lady with her arms resting 
upon her lap and her head resting upon her arms, and both 
bitterly weeping. The youth deeply moved, inquired : "Mrs. 
Buchanan, what does this mean?" "Oh, sir, I don't know? 
I told them that I was a Union woman, and that I asked the 
Confederates not to come into my house, and that my hus- 
band up till his death a few months ago was a Union man, 
and they never entered my house. But sir, they have not 
only burned my house, but took off everything valuable they 
could find, carried off all of my negroes, 59 in number, ex- 
cept this old aunty here, who clung to me so that they left 
her. Oh, sir, what will I do?" The youth told her that his 
father was a Union man, but that was the first exposition of 
abolition vandalism he had experienced, and that he believed 
for the first time, it was the intention of the Federals to free 
the slaves, though all prisoners with whom he talked em- 
phatically declared that if they thought so they would quit 
the Federal army and return home. 

While there were many things that were wrong, per- 
petrated by the different sections of the Union, such as the 
tariff which built up one section of the Union at the expense 
of the other ; the making Free Ports of Eastern harbors, &c. 
The great underlying basic cause was African slavery. The 
greatest New York paper, The Tribune, attacked the insti- 
tution and declared the Constitution a league with hell. The 
trouble that took place in Kansas at and before the time it 
was made a State; the John Brown raid, and the arrest of 
his secret emisaries throughout the South, trying to cause 
the negroes to rise and destroy the lives of their owners ; 
who were a facile, patient, kind, careful, true, affectionate, 
industrious, more virtuous Christian race than they were in 
their original state ; whose combined labor in connection 
with the combined labor of their industrious, energetic, plain, 
hospitable, dashing, gallant, virtuous, brave, liberty-loving, 
Christian, kind owners, produced more raw material than 
double their amount of population in any other part of the 
world at that time. Until the political gangrene, jealousy, 
envy and malice of their sister States at home, and also the 
European or Caucasian in their old Fatherland, were amazed 
at their rapid strides at wealth, intelligence and refinement, 

26 



leading in their government in every department ; and they 
must be conquered or the world would lose its equipoise ; 
anyway, further on its fruits we hope will be shown. For 
more than a month somewhere along the 50 mile line of chain 
pickets, from one to more than a dozen demonstrations were 
made per day when you could hear volley after volley of 
small arms, and occasionally the roar of artillery every day. 
About this time, when riding in a vanguard looking for the 
enemy, 22 cavaliers riding in columns of twos, riding along 
the foot of a bluff where a by-road ran, and in a dense cedar 
brake, four pieces of artillery hid in the cedars about 30 yards 
distant, and supported by about 1,000 infantry, belched forth 
a volley of canister and grape into their right flank. The 
youth's comrade's leg was shot off at the ankle or nearly so, 
as he fell from the horse in a beseechingly, appealing man- 
ner, he called to the youth and said : "Oh please help me ! I 
would help you, if you were in this fix." The youth called 
to his uncle and another comrade to help him, and they put 
him on the horse and led him out from under fire as soon as 
possible. The youth then assisted his comrades in pouring 
rapid volleys of small arms, having their guns, and then two 
Colt's six shooting repeaters apiece ; the range was so close 
and the squad's firing was so rapid that the enemy limbered 
up and left in a hurry. The enemy must have fired too high, 
as the loss of his comrade's foot and horse were the only 
casualties of the van-guard. It must have been a glancing 
shot that did the execution. 

The general advance of the Federals commenced on the 
Confederate forces around Murfreesboro. The Confederate 
cavalry contesting every inch of ground, when they arrived 
at the beautiful open valley of Stewart's creek, which cut 
their advance at right angles, it was a grand sight to see the 
regular alignment kept up by the Confederate cavalry, and 
the advance of the grand Federal army, said to have been 
86,000. At the creek under the cover of the narrow strip of 
timber along its banks, the Federals approached very cau- 
tiously, and of course were received very .warmly, as the 
General commanding the cavalry, orders were, when they 
come in good range, fire and fall back, if necessary. While 
resting at the creek with pickets on either side and taking 
advantage of the bluff's, rocks and large trees, the youth 
called out to the opposite picket, "What is the use of us 
shooting continually at each other when there is nothing 
accomplished by it ; let's play quits for a while and be social ; 
so the pickets calling to the reserves, told them a. truce was 
on, and if the boys wanted to be friendly, they could a few 
in number go down to the creek banks and converse with 

27 



each other, and the Generals would watch for them, too, and 
not let them be molested, and warn them of any approaching 
(danger, but to take no arms with them. So quite a little 
squad gathered unarmed on the banks of the creek and had 
quite a pleasant time, chatting, exchanging tobacco, coffee, 
knives, names or other little souvenirs, even engaging in 
several games of cards. In the meantime the commanders 
were notified and papers were exchanged for them. During 
the truce one of the Johnnys asked a blue coat where they 
were going? and the blue coat jocularly answered, that they 
were on their way to Murfreesboro to take Christmas dinner. 
The Johnny told him that they would be glad if they would 
come as they were then, peacefully ; but if they intended to 
try and force their way there it would be the costliest dinner 
they ever ate. Soon a command of blue coats came slipping 
down the creek at trail arms and half bent ; the pickets were 
true, and they warned the truce off, when all parties shook 
hands and got back to their post, just as they came charging 
down the creek pouring a volley at the unoccupied truce 
ground, but no one was hurt, and they went back a little 
surprised at the result ; and as they didn't attempt just then 
to cross over the creek, the Confederates held their fire. The 
Federal advance was soon sounded, and the Battle of Stew- 
art's Creek commenced. Dismounted cavalry on the Con- 
federate side soon had to give way before superior numbers, 
never fearing infantry excepting when vastly outnumbered, 
having fought it so long, as well as reasonably successfully. 
A bomb exploded under the horse of a cavalier, sending the 
rider into the air some distance. He came to the ground on 
his feet, running in a circle around his horse ; then made for 
the mutilated remains of the faithful, noble animal that in 
death had shielded him, secured the bridle and saddle, and 
throwing them across his shoulder, made for the rear. The 
lines retreated slowly across the open field into the cedar 
brakes, where every time a Federal form was detected close 
enough for firing at, it was in danger. The Confederates 
adroitly taking advantage of every stump, tree, rock or 
mound, which made the advance very slow. They had now 
arrived in the vicinity of LaVergne, the headquarters for so 
long a time of the Cavalry General. The ground was hotly 
contested. The youth was hugging a small sapling about 
six inches in diameter ; a bullet struck the tree opposite his 
pelvis and jarred him ; he poked his head around the tree to 
see where the bullet hit ; just then a bullet struck the tree 
just against the side of his face, knocking the bark in his 
face and stinging it badly. He jerked his head back and 
frowned. His lieutenant, who was sheltered behind a large 

28 



tree to his right, caught his eye about this time, smiled at the 
occurrence and the youth returned the smile. As he did so, 
another comrade said "Look yonder at A. B. a-laughing; 
God d — n him, he had better be praying." The youth de- 
tecting where the shot came from and raising his gun to his 
shoulder, answered, "I said my prayers before I came here — 
now is the time for fighting" ; drawing a bead on his antag- 
onist (who had leaped to his feet from where he had been 
concealed behind a large log, and straining his neck and eyes 
to see what execution he had done), fired; his antagonist fell 
over, and he was not disturbed any more from that quarter. 
The youth fervently praying that he might frighten or wound 
his adversary and not take his life. The youth, a Christian 
by birth and raising; his antagonist must have been one, too. 
The skirmishing and fighting continued for four days, before 
the Federals reached the confederate army posted on the 
fields north of Murfreesbbro, where the battle commenced, 
the Federals seeming to have grown bolder, while the Con- 
federate cavalry with their lines never having been broken, 
seemed more stubbornly to resist their advance. As the 
youth got on top of a small rise, and he took in the scene; 
two grand armies soon to commence a deadly conflict for 
the mastery, aided by all of the improved implements of 
modern warfare, and directed by the best military geniuses 
of one of the most refined and civilized nations of earth. 
While a soldierly thrill permeated his every being; it all 
seemed wrong. The Nation was atoning by or through 
blood, for the curse of African slavery. The Confederate 
cavalry passed through or over it seemed like, the prostrate 
lines of infantry, and moved rapidly to the rear; the enemy 
rapidly pursuing, delivering a general fire along the whole 
line. In a moment the entire line of Confederate infantry 
poured a volley while still on the ground, which seemed to 
partly demoralize and check them, when reloading and firing 
again from their prone position, the partly demoralized Fed- 
eral lines became broken and ragged ; reloading at command, 
they rose to their feet, charged rapidly to the front, fell to 
their faces, it seemed, just as the Federals delivered a volley. 
The Confederates were again on their feet, charged rapidly 
again, steadied their line, which was now very close, deliver- 
ed a deadly volley, then, with fixed boyonets charged the Fed- 
erals. At most points along the line the Federals gave way, 
at other points the ground was so' hotly contested that the 
brave Southern and Northern men were impaled on each 
others' bayonets, and after the battle, were found in pairs, 
cold in death, each of those pairs valiantly battling for what 
they thought was right. This continued until night, when 

29 



the firing all ceased, and the two armies camped on the field. 
Near the middle of the night a detail of 900 picked men and 
horses under the leadership of the Cavalry General, moved 
around to the left of the Federal army, going completely in 
their rear, passing close to a large marble statue. The cava- 
lier just ahead of the youth in the column nodding, fell back- 
ward in his saddle, jerking his horse back upon the youth's 
suddenly waking and seeing the large white statue by his 
side, said, rather excitedly, "Good evening, Maj. Rosecrans, 
I didn't intend to insult you, sir." Soon after daylight they 
came in sight of a brigade of infantry, when the General 
marched them in column around a hill for some time, then 
suddenly dividing them into three divisions or squads, charg- 
ed them on three sides. They fled and left four pieces of 
cannon and a lot of prisoners in the possession of the Con- 
federates. They then proceeded to LaVergne, where an- 
other command was encamped, and seemed to be the general 
encampment of the wagon trains. They were soon routed, 
and the wagons massed and burned, hundreds of the wagons 
attempting to retreat along the pike at full speed in the di- 
rection of Nashville. The General, taking a squad of his 
troopers, pursued at full speed parallel, until he cut them off, 
where he discovered a squad of Federal cavalry formed in 
two semi-circles across the pike to resist his advance. Carry- 
ing his men at full sweep across the pike around the hill, to 
their right, he formed columns of fours and charged them 
in their right flank. They delivered their fire, but without 
effect, shooting too high, and fled in the direction of Nash- 
ville. As the pike for miles was now in the possession of the 
Confederate cavalry, they were ordered to run the wagons 
together and burn them, and after selecting any animals 
they might need for immediate use, shoot the remainder. 
The youth got the horse he was riding shot and had to 
mount a fine looking mule. The troopers took sacks of 
parched coffee and such things as they could immediately 
utilize, what they could carry, and as they passed across the 
country going west, dropped them at the houses along the 
road for those good Tennesseans to enjoy. They then pro- 
ceeded to Nolansville and destroyed another train. They 
then rode as rapidly as they could and came in on the left 
wing of the battlefield. The battle having raged all day, the 
Confederates having driven the right wing of the Federal 
army back more than four miles, the 900 men under their 
General had made a complete circuit of the Federal army, 
captured more than 1,700 prisoners; captured and spiked 4 
pieces of artillery and destroyed the principal part of the 
Federal supply train, which contained $15,000,000 in green 



30 



backs to pay off the Federal army when they captured Mur- 
freesboro. Nor was that all ; in front they were badly beaten 
by that old disciplinarian's army of well-drilled, bare- 
footed, ragged Confederates, who left blood on the snow 
from frost-bitten feet. Could anything but patriots have 
borne what they did? On the left late in the evening a can- 
non ball took off a trooper's head, just ahead of the youth. 
The decapitated body fluttering and jerking as it fell to the 
ground like a decapitated chicken, while the quivering head, 
with its suffering features plowed up old mother earth like 
a cannon ball. Fully 30,000 troops of that vast army were 
on the retreat the next day twelve miles from the battle- 
field, moving in the direction of Nashville, but as the battle 
was not continued the next day they were halted, and both 
armies lay in a few miles of each other, and wrapped in Dear 
Old Mother Earth's bosom the purest and best of her noblest 
and bravest sons. The true patriot alone to his loved cause 
can envy them such a death. And as the two brothers of one 
Republic bid each other good-bye on Stewart's creek just 
four days before, and the South-son said to the North-son: 
"if you come in peace you are welcome, and we would be 
glad to have you eat Christmas dinner with us ; but if you 
come to eat per force, it will be the costliest dinner you ever 
ate," it seemed to prove so, and who knows but one of them 
may have passed into the unknown beyond, while the other 
still living, thinking of the conversation, helped bury his 
dead comrade. Such is war! When will mankind become 
so refined, cultivated and pure, that war shall be no more; 
and all disputes be settled by arbitration, and without the 
shedding of blood, and the great engines of war now manufac- 
tured be changed to useful articles to promote peaceful avo- 
cations, to supply plentifully all wants, creating happiness, 
as a precursor of Eternal Fruition and Glory.. 

The youth was on picket duty one day and a squad of 
blue coats came down the pike bearing a white flag, they 
came a reasonable distance and halted, set a large trunk 
down in the center of the pike, and left, a gentleman sitting 
on it ; some of the pickets improvised as best they could a 
flag of truce and went out there, to see what it means. Ar- 
riving there, quite a polished, nice looking gentleman bowed 
to them and accosted them thus : I have been banished from 
my country, but gentlemen, I am banished among those that 
I consider my enemy, and I dislike as much as I do those 
that have banished me; it is all done because I have taken 
up the cause of my country, and condemning both contend- 
ing factions, that are extreme ; my name is Val Ian i gam 
of Ohio (spelled Vallandingham). The boys sent to their 

3i 



General to know what they must do ; he told them to receive 
and treat him kindly, and hold him until he heard from the 
commanding General. He telegraphed to Richmond to know 
what he must do, and they telegraphed to receive him by all 
means, and let him have the freedom of the country and go 
wherever he chose. The pickets found him to be a polished, 
nice gentlemtn, and a treat to be with him, reflecting fully 
the sentiment of the Union element of the South. 

Here was a Union Patriot whose whole object was the 
preservation of the American Republic on the principles upon 
which it was founded, and because he had enough American 
manhood and intelligence to wield a power and expose and op- 
pose discerning, rancorous fanaticism, he must be expatriated, 
and thousands were made political prisoners for expressing 
their sentiments ; similar cases were those of Andy Johnson 
and Brownlowe among the Southern fire eaters ; and every 
avenue on both sides of the line was closed and closely 
guarded on both sides, while the ravages of army diseases, 
and the unchained bull dogs of war, furnished millions of 
victims for the carnal, hellish orgies of the Demons of battle 
as they gloated over their prospects of reaching the very 
vitals of the only true, living, philosophic government of 
democracy. The Monarchies and Despotisms, and other 
quasi Republican governments were astonished at the gi- 
gantic struggles, reports as they came in, and pondered how 
soon, many heterogenous, petty governments would be 
carved out of the defunct democracy, and what would be their 
spoils. The anguished Goddess of Liberty whose supplica- 
tions are pure, is still supplicating the Throne of Mercy. 

The sepulture of the dead, and removing of the wounded 
being attended to, the Confederate General quietly moved 
some thirty miles further south, and the youth's command 
was stationed on the Shelbyville and Nashville pike. While 
camped at old Middleton, several miles to the right of last 
named pike, a body of Federal cavalry, just before daylight, 
charged into their camp. Gathering his arms, ammunition 
and one blanket, he and one of his comrades leaped the rail 
fence, and hid in a brier thicket (as luck would have it, their 
horses, and most of the men were sent several miles south 
to graze the horses, as horse feed was scarce) ; the Federals 
pillaged their camps a little in the dark, and then re-unit- 
ing, formed a column of fours in the road along the opposite 
side from where they were lying, and then moved slowly off ; 
soon light dawned and a few Federal stragglers came along 
and acted so foolishly, that the few Confederates that were 
hid out, soon got together and captured them, when to their 
amazement they found them to be drunk, which accounted 

£2 



for their actions. As soon as they sobered enough they in- 
quired why they had acted thus. The Federal prisoners 
told the Confederates they were given spirits to inspire them 
to deeds of valor, as they were told the Confederates did, but 
that they had taken a little too much. 

Not long after that on the pike at Old Rover, a Tory 
living a few hundred yards from the camp of the reserve 
pickets, and inside of the chain picket line, led a force of 
fifteen hundred Federals against the picket line at that point, 
five hundred of whom he guided upon a soft hollow between 
two pickets standing on either hill some distance apart, 
woods intervening along the hollow, the remaining thousand 
Federals driving the pickets back on the reserve ; the picket- 
ing force at that point amounted to 84. Commanded by a 
Major, he formed the reserve along behind a cedar picket 
fence ; the cedar pickets were between 5 and 6 feet in height 
and well set in the ground, which made a very good protec- 
tion against a cavalry attarck in front. The Federals ad- 
vanced to within about 200 yards, when they commenced 
firing, and knowing their numbers and expecting the 500 
sent to charge the reserve in the rear, they moved boldly on, 
finally discovering the picket barrier, and receiving a volley 
from the reserves, they wavered ; just at that juncture, the 
ground seemed to be trembling, and a dreadful roaring noise 
broke upon their ears, and one of the Confederates discover- 
ing the cause yelled : Here, Major, the enemy are right here 
in our rear! The Major, like a flash, commanded: By fours, 
right wheel, charge, so as to run out from between the two 
lines ; the Federals dashed with their sabers drawn right in 
among the unsuspcting reserves until it was seemingly too 
late to do anything; but the sudden impact caused by the 
picket fence stunned and surprised the Federals so, that 
while recovering the Confederates fought like demons, club- 
bing the Federals over the head with their guns, then draw- 
ing their Colt's repeaters, made every shot tell ; during the 
close stunning din, the youth and one of his comrades at- 
tempted to escape in the direction the Federals charged from 
(the youth having just been relieved from picket and arriv- 
ing at the reserce ; had loosened his saddle girth to let his 
horse eat, had failed to regirth it, the attack was so sudden) ; 
so in passing to the rear his horse at full speed wanted to go 
on the right side of a large stump and he on the other; the 
saddle turned and he fell to the left, clinging to his bridle 
reins with his left hand, his rifle in his right, and his left foot 
fastened in the stirrup; the animal made a few rapid bounds, 
stopped, looked back at the running fight, as it rapidly 
moved southward down the pike, and neighed ; the youth 

33 



with a successful kick, freed his left foot, mounted to his 
feet, bringing his right shoulder up under the saddle, righted 
it back, vaulted into it, without taking time to regirth it; 
started again to the rear; two Federals pursuing; the youth 
passed seemingly a dead body that lay across the road, and 
soon the house where the Tory guide lived ;and in a few bounds 
arrived at the end of the lane ; under a large tree dismounted, 
reloaded his rifle and awaited the approach of his two pur- 
suers. They soon appeared at the end of the lane and stop- 
ped. While there he readjusted his saddle and heard as he 
thought the screams of the Tory's wife, and distinctly, I told 
him not to have anything to do with it, and afterwards heard 
he was killed. He then made his way back toward the camp 
and met his General coming rapidly to the front with his 
command, who told him to feed his animal, and eat his 
breakfast, and come on as soon as possible. The youth and 
about ii others of his companions, who fought out from 
among the Federal troopers by whom they were surrounded 
and outnumbered ; now followed on after their command, 
and arriving at old Fosterville ascertained that only 2 Con- 
fedrates were killed dead, and 38 wounded ; 32 unhurt, all of 
whom were made prisoners ; also learned from the citizens 
living there that the Federals pressed four wagons, put their 
dead into them and started toward Nashville ; some of the 
Federals remained for a while at the picket ground feeding 
their horses, and to cover the retreat, the balance of the 
command went on three miles to Eagleville with the prison- 
ers, where they put the 32 prisoners in the masonic lodge 
room while resting and feeding. The Confederate general 
moved rapidly to the front and engaged the Federals vig- 
orously; in the hustle to remount and retreat; they hurried 
the prisoners out of the lodge room and in counting them 
out, found them to only count 31. They hurridly looked 
around the lodge room and left. Afterwards when the 12 
pickets came along following after the wake of their column, 
they learned from the citizens that while the Federal com- 
mander stopped there at Eagleville to rest and feed ; they 
had put the well prisoners in the lodge room ; so some of the 
pickets held horses while the youth and several of his com- 
rades ran up there into the room to see if they could find 
anything about who were the unhurt prisoners, as they 
were prowling about the room picking up scraps of paper 
and joking each other, away back in one corner a little fel- 
low poked his head out of a large barrel and asked : "Why, 
is that you A. B.? I thought I recognized your voice. How 
did the fight go? When it opened I jumped into the barrel 
and the boys took the cotton I took out of it and stuffed it 



34 



all around me ; so he soon told him the names of the boys 
in there with him and most of the wounded. The Confed- 
erate general pursued rapidly and made it hot for them and 
captured some. This clearly shows not only the hardships 
of the picket's life, but the hard fighting they had to do and 
how great the mortality. 

Having run short of clothing and having captured some 
Federal clothing which was mostly woolen, the youth don- 
ned some, as well as many of his comrades and soon found 
they had many body lice on them and then soon followed 
camp itch and erysipelas, when he applied for leave or 
privilege to go to the country and see if he couldn't get re- 
lief; having a great uncle living near by, and obtained per- 
mission ; when he went to his great uncle's who sent for his 
country physician and in about two weeks treatment told 
him he could report back again to his command. While at 
his uncle's he visited several times the neighbors, one of 
whom told him the Federals had been there foraging. His 
uncle was near seventy years old. The Federal officer told 
the men to load the wagon with corn. The old uncle took 
his gun and set down at the crib and when they had taken 
as much corn as he thought they ought, he told them very 
positively that they had as much as he could spare, and 
pointing his gun at the men in the crib told them to come 
out that his family had to live, they obeyed the old man and 
told him they must have some beeves and as they attempted 
to drive all of his cattle out of the lot, he stood at the gate 
and let such pass as he wanted them to have. When they 
were through the officer asked him : "Old man, are there 
any secessionists about here?" The old man answered very 
positively: "Yes, and if you see any one around here and he 
says he is not a secessionist, you watch that man, he is a 
rascal." The officer told him he was glad to meet him and 
to see he was not afraid to express his sentiments and bid 
him good-bye. An incident occurred at a cousin's near his 
uncle's, that was very rare. Another cousin had some very 
fine deer hounds and was out hunting; a grown deer came 
running down off the mountains ; ran into the field where 
the hands were at work and lay down. One of the hands, 
a stout young negro ran to the deer (that made no resistance) 
picked it up and placing it across his shoulder ran up into 
the yard where the youth, his cousin and several others were 
standing talking and working. His cousin said to the negro: 
"Why that deer is alive, what are you doing with it on your 
shoulder? Put it down." The negro obeyed. He then 
took his pocket knife which was very sharp, stuck it through 
the deer's neck just back of the jugular vein and cut it in two, 

35 



when it bled profusely and died almost without a struggle. 
Deer were common then in the Cumberland mountains and 
it was passed as a common incident, but shocked the youth 
very much who wanted it protected instead of killed. It had 
evidently ran there for protection and he thought it was some 
one's pet deer from some remote part of the mountains ; as 
through the Southern States in those days wild pets were 
common among the sparsely settled settlements ; such as 
cubs, fawns, raccoons, squirrels and many kinds of birds. 
The venison was quite a treat but the youth did not relish 
it very much. In a few days having been cured of his itch 
and erysipelas and having been kindly treated making the 
acquaintance of many nice families, he reluctantly bid a 
final good-bye, and returned to the sterner realities of war. 

During his absence from his command, when he return- 
ed, he learned that during a rainy spell all the command's 
arms and ammunition got wet and the Federal cavalry had 
received a lot of new carbines that used metallic cartridges, 
that would even fire in the water and he thinks they were 
commanded by a new Federal officer. They attacked the 
Confederate cavalry and worsted it badly, as their ammuni- 
tion was wet, and their paper cartridges were too, and could 
do but little execution. The Confederate army fell back 
again, being vastly out numbered and made an alignment of 
or on the south bank of the Tennessee ; while picketing on the 
south bank of the river the youth was detailed to 
scout along on the north bank ; secretly crossing the river 
either in a flat or bateau, swimming his horse by the side; 
in most places the river was from 900 to 1200 yards wide. 
Many beautiful homes all up and down the valley on the 
north side of the river were deserted by the white families, and 
retired south of the river. Now and then an overseer or negro 
foreman was left in charge. The youth scoured the whole 
country for miles, putting up with the faithful loyal negroes 
where ever night overtook him or stopping and nooning, for 
whenever a Federal command was moving he could always 
hear in time to keep out of the way. One day taking a ne- 
gro that belonged to a cousin of his and who was left in 
charge of his cousin's place, and learning that a large scout 
of Federals' were coming from the direction of Huntsville, 
and moving south-west along the public road ; he knew 
where there was a long lane running directly west, and the 
corn was growing fine in the fields, the fences were heavy 
rail fences and twelve to fourteen rails high; tying his horse 
he and the negro hid in a convenient place and as the com- 
mand moved along the road he was counting them, the lane 
opened into a heavy piece of woods about 400 yards west of 

36 



where he and the negro were hid and directly he heard 
several shots in the direction of the head of the column, and 
the clattering of horses feet and the Federals yelling Forest! 
Forrest ! Ambush ! Ambush ! and the whole command wheel- 
ing about ran out of the lane as fast as their horses could 
take them. After all sounds had died out, and everything was 
still, giving the negro one of his pistols, showed him how 
to work it, they then went to the lane, to see if they could 
detect what was the matter, and what caused the singular 
actions of the Federals. They had not more than arrived 
at the fence and examined the road than two men rode into 
the lane, the youth eyeing as closely as he well could their 
maneuvers and looks, motioned for them to come down in 
hailing distance. When he asked them what command they 
belonged to and they told him Forrest's, and asked him 
what command he belonged to and he told them, when they 
soon met and had a talk over the singular occurence. They 
told him that just in the road a piece at a sudden bend of the 
road, they met ; when they fired, one turning his horse to 
the right and the other to the left and yelling at the top of 
their voices: "Here Gen. Forrest, here they are right here!" 
When the advance wheeled and fled back on the main column 
yelling : Forrest ! Forrest ! Ambush ! Ambush ! The youth 
told the men to wait until he got his horse and they would 
carefully follow them in the direction of Huntsville ; bidding 
the negro good-bye and telling him he would try and bring 
him all the news and that they would be back again, they 
followed in the direction of Huntsville ; at places where the 
road was muddy, the newly shod cavalry horses picked up 
all the mud and threw it out of the road covering the fences, 
trees, bushes and grass and must have covered each other 
and their horses all over in striving to see who could arrive 
at a place of safety first. Pistols, blankets, cartridges and 
pieces of clothing being scattered along the road for a dis- 
tance of about 9 miles and to within about 3 miles of town, 
when they seemed to have cooled or more likely run down. 

• Old men in Huntsville slipped their daughters through 
the Federal lines and turn them over to the youth and risk 
his safely putting them across the river. One time he had 
three in his charge and the Federals got wind of their move- 
ments some way and pursued with a large force, but he ar- 
rived about 1 o'clock a. m. in a secluded place on the banks 
of the river while it was drizzling rain and sounded his sig- 
nal ; when the pickets had been fighting across the river until 
night and they were so cautious that they sent a man across, 
landing at a secret place and just where the youth left the 
girls. He arrived just in time to give the soft signal and 

37 



save them all ; successfully by carrying them across at one load 
and swimming his horse by the side of the boat and arriving 
on the opposite bank, when the pursuing Federals appeared 
to find they were foiled. There was a comrade that could 
not speak above a whisper (a brave good soldier) that gen- 
erally accompanied the youth two and fro across the river, 
and ran great risks ; but was never captured. Once while 
crossing in the flat one very dark night, a large sturgeon 
fully four feet in length leaped into the boat striking his 
comrade with his tail right on the side of his face ; when he 
hallooed it being the first and only audible sound the youth 
ever heard him make ; he dropped the oar and fell back in 
the boat, when the youth detecting immediately what it was, 
threw himself across the fish and held it and tied it ; calling 
in a subdued manner to his comrade and explaining what 
was the matter. By first boiling the fish and then frying it, 
it was very palatable and lasted several days for the small 
squad that picketed that particular spot on the river. The 
fruit that year was very fine along the river and there was 
a little frost one night in July and they heard corn was kill- 
ed north of the Ohio river in July about that time, when 
tasselling and some in the roasting ear, when crops of grain 
over the Southern States were very good as if Diety favored 
their cause. One night the youth took his post at 8 o'clock 
p. m. on the bank of the river (it was a clear, beautiful, full 
moon, balmy night, and the understanding was each picket 
would hold the watch and when his two hours were out, 
awake the next and so on through the night ; but he was ab- 
sorbed in trying to study out perpetual motion and apply it 
to propelling a boat or ship through the water. Day dawn- 
ed and he was still sitting at his post absorbed in his scheme ; 
when one of the pickets awoke and came to him and accused 
him of sleeping on his post. The youth believes that he 
studied out the principle correctly, but doubts if applied, it 
would have any extra power. When the wheat was ripen- 
ing, and it was very good, some small farmers had no one 
to help them save it, the stout able bodied men being in the 
war; when he got permission and helped cut and shock it, 
and several of his comrades helped regardless of the politi- 
cal standing of the families, all of whom were very kind to 
them, and fed them well, and thanked them kindly, which 
was all the pay they wanted. The Federals soon attempted 
to pontoon the river at different places and brought their 
cannon into use to assist them; and he was astonished that 
even a general of even ordinary ability would allow another 
to cross a stream like the Tennessee in face of him with ten 
times the amout of troops and even superior arms, but such 

38 



was the fact, and he was astonished. It seemed to him not 
only a want of generalship, but of vigilance, in fact culpable 
negligence ; that he would be held accountable strictly by the 
nation for; but not as big a blunder as giving up Columbus, 
and the fine bluffs on or near the mouth of the Tennessee 
and Cumberland rivers, and that ought to have been held 
above everything in the Confederacy, and that he could have 
held the position with the Confederate forces indefinitely, 
until he would have exhausted ten times his amount of forces 
and expenses which would have been hard to have raised. 
The youth differs from anyone I have conversed with, even 
in taking a retrospective glance of the war, and reminds one 
of some of the views expressed by Gen. N. B. Forrest, 
though he said he was a courier several times to his com- 
mand, but never conversed with him. 

VOLUME TWO. 

The youth's command was now ordered to Chattanooga, 
where they were placed on Lookout Mountain, and some 
stationed just on the brow of lookout. point (or as many con- 
tend) lovers leap. It was grand to stand on that point and 
view that beautiful river and valley and its many tributaries, 
all fertile, and raising the necessaries of life, but the youth 
says that any general that would let ten times his number 
cross that stream coming southward for 200 miles is wanting 
in military mother wit. Anyway, it was not long until the 
Federals were across and then a bloody open field fight was 
again fought. McPherson's corps had Crossed below at 
Bridge Port and arrived at the top of Lookout Mountain and 
from some unaccountable cause, retraced it's steps without 
seeming to want to engage the Confederates, telling the far- 
mers that lived on the road in Lookout valley, that they had 
been ordered to go to Atlanta, and as they retraced their 
steps in double quick, the citizens asked what was the mat- 
ter, when they answered that just across the mountains the 
whole country was alive with rebels and that they had or- 
ders to return north of the Ohio in double quick. The youth 
said having gained such an advantage and then relinquish it 
without a struggle seemed so silly. Chickamauga a useless 
bloody battle was fought ; then the flash of Missionary 
Ridge. Generals inspire brave troops like the Southern boys 
were by taking advantage of positions and holding, or at 
least trying to, and making it dear to their adversaries. 
Then at last when so much had been given up and the troops 
dispirited ; a general was placed over the Confederates that 
prudently contested every foot of ground, and made it dear- 
ly bought, the troops learned soon to appreciate such a com- 

39 



mander. When arriving at. Lost and Pine mountains, he 
witnessed a night attack, that while it was brilliant, beauti- 
ful and grand ; was not destructive in the least ; and clearly 
demonstrated to his mind the cause of so little destruction ac- 
cording to the amount of ammunition wasted. When going 
as a courier to Lost Mountain one day and it was raining 
very hard, lightning struck the off, or mule on the right side 
of a team, just as he was passing it and turned it, with its 
feet up and lying on its back, and its tail in front at the 
breast yoke where its neck and shoulders should have been, 
and did not hurt the other mule or driver or him and seemed 
enveloped in the electricity. Once when the youth was de- 
tailed to go out into the country to hunt up provisions for 
his command, riding ahead of the team and a captain with 
about ioo men to load and guard them, he rode up to a nice 
looking house and a fine looking elderly gentleman came to 
the door; the youth spoke to him and told him he had been 
sent ahead to hunt up provisions for his command, and that 
they were passing through the country then just west of 
there, and that the wagons and men to load them would soon 
be there. He inquired the name of the command, where 
the youth was from and his name ; when the gentleman re- 
marked that he knew his father well and said he knew his 
father was a union man, that he had too much sense to be a 
secessionist ; that to get down and come in, that his son was 
welcome to anything he had. Calling his family, three nice, 
well developed, fine looking intelligent young ladies as he 
ever met, and introduced them to him, chatting them pleas- 
antly until the wagons came up; told the gentleman and his 
nice daughters good-bye that he would have to go on and 
look up more, and to let them have what he thought he could 
spare. Arriving at the next place, and a very fine place it 
was, with abundance of provisions and no one appeared at 
first but the lady of the house ; whom he addressed in as affa- 
ble a manner as he knew how and told his business ; she was 
not willing to let the youth have a thing; when the youth 
told her where he found plenty of provisions, to find out the 
size of the family, number of stock to feed, and make an es- 
timate of how much it would take to do them bountifully to 
make a crop on, then to press the balance ; that the command 
had to have provisions to live on ; he was making the calcu- 
lation when the teams drove up followed by the men to load. 
He told the captain to have so many of the wagons loaded 
with corn, when the hall door opened and a very handsome 
young lady walked out by the side of her mother and com- 
menced abusing the youth, when the captain and other offi- 
cers and men that were around him told him they would not 



40 



take it. He then told them to drive out fourteen large fat- 
tening hogs that would weigh near fourteen hundred pounds 
apiece. She then commenced cursing him and told him if 
her two brothers were there, that were in the Federal army, 
he wouldn't take anything away from the place; the cap- 
tain told him to curse her back. He looked at her a moment 
and said : "Miss, nothing pains me so much as it does to 
see a beautiful, cultivated, refined, nice young lady as I know 
you to be, using such dreadful language. I am nothing but 
a poor soldier and I have to obey my commanders." She 
looked in utter but subdued astonishment for a second, threw 
her hands over her beautiful face and fled back into the room ; 
as she did so her mother said : "I think so, too." The boys 
said, you have done better than any of us would have done. 
Falling back slowly until they arrived at the Chattahoochee 
river, contesting every available foot of ground, and at all 
times inflicting some loss without sustaining any ; it seemed 
that the moral of the Southern troops was built up, till, all 
their loved, wily yet prudent general, had to do was to com- 
mand and it seemed they rushed and loved to obey. The 
youth was one of the last to cross the river on one of the 
pontoon bridges, and just as he stepped on the bank, the 
Federals having got the range of the pontoon, poured several 
well directed cannon shot right into the bank which plowed 
up the earth so covering him near knee deep, and the boys 
helped pull him out, having cut the pontoons loose at the 
north bank, and then running across as it gradually swung 
round to the opposite bank, where it was well tied. The 
Confederates were now on one bank and the Federals on the 
other, and as the weather was warm and dusty and nothing 
could be accomplished by desultory picket firing across the 
river, they called a truce, and many went in bathing, while 
bathing, diving and ducking each other. \ A Federal tied a 
strong cord, the end of which he had brought across the 
river, to one of the floating cables of the pontoon ; a con- 
cealed Confederate was watching him all the time ; when 
fastened he tried to swim back across the river ; when about 
the deepest part of the river and nearely half way across, the 
concealed fellow would pull the cord and duck him ; he held 
on until he couldn't stand the ducking any longer, rose final- 
ly to the surface, shook out his long locks and blowed out 
the water with which his system was fast filling ; looked a 
keen long look at the lower end of the pontoons, and swam 
out to the shallow water near the bank and watched the low- 
er end of the pontoons for some time ; thinking he was not 
detected and being rested, he attempted it the second time 
with like results ; his discomforture was no more than the 

4i 



glee of the concealed Confederate; getting some five or six 
others to join him, they came over to the pontoons and for 
a while joined Johnnys in diving off of the pontoons and 
sporting and ducking and ducking each other in the river 
and now and then examining and passing remarks about the 
nice staunch, convenient pontoons. When ready they start- 
ed back again, when out in the deep water they combined 
their strength, but the concealed Confederate ducked them 
all, until the rest had to let go to rescue their now strangling, 
sinking companion ; remarking audibly enough to be heard, 
let the dam thing go ; its fastened somewhere. Some of the 
Confederates now for the first time catching on, yelled out 
laughingly: "What's the matter, boys, do you need any help? 
If you do just let us know." Some two or more weeks after 
this he was sent as a courier to a command stationed some 
8 or 10 miles up the river to a shoaly place, where the river 
could be forded. Arriving at their camps he found that the 
commander had left so he commenced looking around to 
see where they had formed and by examining the tracks find 
which way they had gone, when about 3,500 Federals seeing 
the smoke rising from the still burning fires commenced 
firing on the camps with the new Henry repeating rifle, jump- 
ing behind a very large oak and holding his horse in line 
parallel with the direction the balls were coming, he remain- 
ed there until the firing ceased, and as shots were now direct- 
ed by his own men at them, he learned not only where the 
command was, but soon joined them, and delivered his mes- 
sage ; while he and his horse escaped unhurt, though bullets 
rained like hail concentrated on the camp for about 15 min- 
utes, around him and his frightened animal. A change was 
made again in their commanders ; and that army again plac- 
ed in incompetent hands ; though a brave, gallant soldier, he 
was unsuited to command. The Federal commander, now 
reinforced, by a coup de grace, intended to wind up that 
Confederate command. Sending a force of cavalry compe- 
tent to engage, hold and divert the Confederate cavalry ; 
while two other commands under skillful leaders either of 
which should have been able to cope single handed, success- 
fully with the depleted Confederate cavalry, were to move 
one to the right, turning the left flank of the Confederate 
army, and the other to move to the left around the right of 
the Confederate army, both or each to tear up the two rail- 
roads, one leading south-west and the other leading south- 
east, and then meeting in the rear of the Confederate army 
on the road to Macon; proceed on down that road, tear it 
up, and release the prisoners at Andersonville. The Confed- 
erate cavalry leader general who had always been the eyes 



42 



and ears of the Confederate forces as usual was fully apprised 
of the movements ; threw his entire forces against the command 
that was to engage, hold and divert them ; completely routed 
them ; gathered his command rode all that evening and night 
and next morning, intercepted the right column, had a run- 
ning fight of about 22 miles, captured near 1700 troopers and 
pursuing the balance to the Chattahoochie river at Filpot's 
ferry, capturing the balance of their horses, about 500, on 
the banks of the river, and about 200 more men, who had not 
crossed. The general told the boys to swim the river and 
bring the boats that were all on the opposite bank where the 
balance of the fleeing Federals were, running off across the 
open fields. The general told thm that he would cover them 
with his artillery. The youth looking about and not seeing 
any of the opposite sex about, pulled off his clothes so as not 
to be encumbered, swam the river and was the first one on 
the opposite bank and running up on the main bank, he be- 
held a very fine silver mouted saddle with a pair of fie hol- 
sters across the pommel. He gathered up the saddle and 
blankets and put them on the prow of one of the nicest skiffs, 
leaped in and was first on the opposite bank, where the gen- 
eral met him and offered him $500 for the saddle, holsters 
and blankets ; the youth told him his father was a strong 
union man and he wanted to make him a present of the 
saddle. The general told him that was right and he did not 
want to deprive him of the saddle. A lot of men went over 
in the skiffs to bring bring the large Ferry flats across ; so 
that they could pursue the Federals, and gathering up the 
best horses from among them captured and from his own, 
sending a squad to pursue the retreating Federals, he took all 
of his command except those to guard the prisoners and rode 
day and night to overtake the other command and as they 
passed through the country they actually would buy entire 
fields of corn in the roasting ear, and would be so hungry 
that they ate and digested the nice roasting ears and feed their 
horses on the same and the stalks and blades of fodder for 
roughnesss, many of the horses gave out, when they would 
ask the people along the road ; who had their crops laid by, 
to let them exchange their horses with them or for their 
mules; so many, more than half of the remnant of his com- 
mand were mounted on mules. Passing along and through 
a small town the youth stopped to buy some ginger cakes 
to eat from an old negro who was selling; he asked the negro 
the price and he told him 50c a piece ; thinking he had just 
$1.50 of change in his pocket and nothing less than a twenty 
dollar bill ; he piled up three and looking in his pocket book 
he did not find but one dollar in change ; (as the command 

43 



was moving rapidly and he was anxious to start he handed 
the negro the two fifty cent pieces, picked up the three cakes 
and leaped on the horse and galloped off to overtake his com- 
mand ; actually stealing the old negro's ginger cake ; though 
if the old negro detected it, he did not say anything. The 
youth said he was very hungry and he commenced eating 
one of the cakes as he galloped along ; the more he thought 
of how he came in the possession of that third cake the 
poorer his appetite grew ; taking his place in the column, he 
told his comrade how he came the possession of the cake and 
if he would accept the cake he could have it and if he ever 
returned that way he would settle for it ; the comrade who 
was as lank, lean and hungry as he was took it and ate it 
The youth says it is the only he recollects indirectly taking 
and appropriating any thing that did not belong to him, ex- 
cepting once, being at a miller's house, where he was wait- 
ing until some wheat was ground for his command, he 
walked into the dining room, where he saw a plate of baked 
sweet potatoes, as he was talking to the lady he picked up 
one of the potatoes and remarked they were very tempting 
to an old soldier, she told him she had put them there for 
another purpose, but he was paying his way and he ate the 
potato. Finally part of the command of the officers and troops 
came up with the third Federal command, and were ordered 
in line to charge ; an infantry command had been sent by 
rail down the line to assist in intercepting them ; as luck, 
fate or providence would have it, the infantry was placed 
along the line of the railroad, just where the Federal cavalry 
formed a line parallel with it and moved onto the road to 
tear it up ; it was a fill and the infantry lying down were well 
concealed ; a Texan brigade of rangers were then formed and 
advancing from the rear; the infantry just at this juncture 
delivered from their concealed position a well directed, dead- 
ly fire that completely surprised and demoralized (all that 
had escaped being killed or wounded of them, when they fled 
to the rear and ran in consternation over the now in turn 
surprised and unsuspecting rangers, actually doing little ex- 
ecution, to be met by the third line who now charged them 
on their undrilled country horses and mules who neverthe- 
less were the best drilled troopers and in all probability the 
best armed and the best shots in the world ; and while their 
mules made every conceivable evolution as they plowed 
through the Federal ranks, completely obliterating such a 
thing as even the identity of a cavalry command, and when 
commanded surrendered in sundered detachments. The 
youth thinks that Deity alone controlled that singular fight; 
that proved so disastrous to that third, last, best mounted, 

44 



best equipped, best officered and finest looking set of cavalry- 
troops. All that can be said in favor of the Confederates 
was that they were intrepid, invincible officers and men ; who 
being drilled to fight on horse, foot or mule back, singly, in 
squads or in commands, had never known capture or defeat. 
Finally obliterating all hope of the Federal cavalry releasing 
the prisoners at Andersonville or destroying the Confederate 
communications at that time, or with those now annihilated 
cavalry commands. The youth now started with his now 
still successful and elated command to make a raid around 
the rear of the Federal command and destroy their commun- 
ications. The first day on their trip his left arm was so 
badly swollen and he had such a high fever he reported to the 
regimental physician, who having examined his arm and 
system, called several other physicians and surgeons, when 
it was thought advisable to amputate the arm. The youth 
objected, went to his general and laid the case before him, 
stating the command was moving, that it necessitated his 
stopping and also a surgeon with him to attend to him, and 
that with only one arm, in all probability he would never be 
any more use to his country. To please give him a leave of 
absence to go to the country ; obtain local medical aid, and 
when he was dismissed to return to his command. The gen- 
eral granted it, and going into the country four or five miles 
north of Covington stopped at a very nice place. The lady 
examined his arm very carefully ; the neighbors all came in 
to see him and they sent for the local physician. At times 
his fever was so high he was unconscious and when the fever 
left him his mind was bright and clear, at which time the 
landlady would question him very closely; when she decided 
his arm was poisoned ; from the milk that exudes from the 
white sumac when cut, lacerated or broken a kind of a shrub 
common to central Georgia and commenced treating him for 
it. He thinks she took good apple vinegar, making it strong 
with common table salt ; bathed the entire arm in or with it 
for some time and then coating the arm all over with nice, 
sweet, rich cream ; kept his bowels open with epsom salts, 
and when his fever was high, assisted the anti-febrile given 
by the physician, by using cold cloths on his head, stomach 
and bowels and in about 12 days he was able to get around. 
The land lady's husband was in the Virginia army also a son- 
in-law that had married their oldest daugheter, her only son 
who was very young was in the Georgia militia, and one 
single daughter at home about 18 years old. A great many 
called and offered any assistance in their power to the unfor- 
tunate youth ; and finally when he was able to sit up many 
nice, beautiful young ladies visited him, furnishing their pure 

45 



refining tastes and company to regale and revivify the rapid- 
ly approaching asperities of his stale soldier life and to re- 
introduce him into the Chesterfieldan atmosphere in which 
he had just commence to move at his own home. One beau- 
tiful, bright, pleasant morning, when sitting in a large rocker 
the young lady of the household, beautifully attired in white 
trimmed in carmine ribbon with bow knots and bedecked with 
lovely moss and tea roses, and wearing lovely jewels, by 
nature she was graceful and lovely in every movement, 
form and feature with dark gray intelligent eyes, long, fine 
black tresses added to the blonde, made her, as she in a grace- 
ful stately manner walked across the hall, with a queenly 
bow inquiring how he was feeling, a perfect Venus. In the 
naivete of a pure youth he accosted her: "Why, Miss Fannie, 
you must be going a sparking." Throwing her lovely head 
gracefully over her shoulder and a little to one side, in a de- 
bonair manner, shot her pure cupid darts right directly at 
his heart, and quickly in her suave tones replied : "Indeed sir, 
if I wished to spark I could do so nearer home." It was the 
first bout with cupid he had ever had and the shaft complete- 
ly transfixed him. She fully comprehended the power of the 
stroke and in her sweetest, blandest tones, asked if she might 
bjathe his arm, that she thought she could do so as well as 
mama, who had so many burdens and cares ; 'and flying to the 
pantry in that queenly attire, as if nothing was too pure, good 
or costly to lavish on her captive, drawing a small rocker to 
his left side (for it was his left arm that was poisoned) she 
commenced bathing his convalescent, assuaging arm. The 
tender manner in which she bathed, unwrapped and handl- 
ed the arm ; the electric touch of those fair, tapering fingers, 
and soothing stroke of the soft palms of those little white 
dimpled hands, and as she unconsciously leaned over minute- 
ly examining every part of the healing member, conversing 
all the time in her nonchalant, sweetest mood, inquiring 
about the different members of his famliy ; the heavings of 
that beautiful, white, full breast, that partly disclosed its 
loveliness, her pure maidenly sweet breath, commingling 
with the odor of the roses, all combined as they shot through 
the windows and other avenues into the heart of that model 
soldier boy and surrounded him with a halo of exquisite de- 
light in anticipation of the real, that cannot be excelled, for 
two pure hearts had met that knew no guile. About four or 
five years before that, a fanatic accompanied with about 
twenty-two others of his own ilk, with emissaries sent and 
scattered through the pro-slavery states, tried to encourage 
and stimulate to insurrection the peaceful, satisfied slaves. 
The action of the fanatic then proved an abortion, and it be- 

46 



ing telegraphed all over the slave states to look out for an 
uprising. Many men blacked themselves and kinked their 
hair and commingled with the negroes; and soon detected 
and arrested the emissaries and th leading and most danger- 
ous male slaves. Their plot was to arm themselves with 
all the improvised weapons they could gather from the ru- 
ral districts around the leading cities, or towns at a precon- 
certed time fire them and as the white males would come run- 
ning from their houses they were to be put to death; also 
all the old white women and the old black women, and also 
some few of the kindly disposed white males that they 
thought they could manage to leave, to assist them in carry- 
ing on their government, but none of the young females of 
either race were to be put to death. Many a negro had sin- 
gled out the female they intended to make wives ; this youth's 
sisters had been singled out and the negroes were known to 
the youth. Caucasian Northron or Southron, in fact Cau- 
cassian American, after being apprised of such a love scene 
as just delineated, and the action of a lot of fanatics and their 
followers, in their heinous, hellish intentions ; cannot you 
forgive this youth for fighting and voting in all after life for 
Caucasian or White Supremacy? 

The youth now becomes the soldier man and bidding 
farewell to that dear, kind, loved family, he started out to 
hunt for his wagon camps. Meeting with a lieutenant who 
was also returning to his wagon camps, they traveled togeth- 
er for several days, and finally met another soldier of his 
company and all three reported to an infantry command and 
the next day fought in the battle of Jonesboro ; not really 
accomplishing anything. They then tried to go to their own 
commands and the soldier man's horse died ; be*ing left afoot 
he hired a man to go along with him and let him ride one of 
his horses when he could oring it back. At home the youth 
got him another horse and returned to his command, and was 
better mounted than ever. 

His general now followed along after the Federal com- 
mand, harrassing whenever and wherever he could. One day 
when they were in about 75 miles of the coast and heading 
for the mouths of the Ogeechees. the general sent a detach- 
ment under the command of a gallant lieutenant colonel with 
200 men and officers, ordering them to have their guns and 
sabers and keep their two pommel holster pistols and their 
two belt pistols ; and to move around in front of the Federals 
and keep between them and the coast ; and find out if possible 
where they were going to reach the coast first and report 
same to him. Traveling around or flanking them on the 
right, while passing around a small town on a by road and 

47 



just as the head of their column had entered one of the main 
roads that entered the town, some young ladies, sixteen in 
number, astride of horses bareback, and with an old man on 
horse back leading them, screaming and greatly excited 
with their skirts to their knees and their long tresses float- 
ing in the air and galloping or running their horses at full 
speed right down a long slope from the direction of town. 
The colonel had halted his column. The ladies seeing the 
column and thinking they were cut off, tried to check their 
horses; the soldiers motioned their hands beckoning them to 
come on ; and thinking there was no other re.course ; they 
ventured forward, and discovering friends gathered around 
the head of the column and begged the colonel and soldiers 
to please go up in town and protect their mothers and sis- 
ters, that the yankees were robbing them of their jewelry, 
cutting open the feather beds and pillows and strewing things 
all over the place and insulting their mothers and sisters. 
The soldiers could then hear the screams in town. The col- 
onel (though a tried brave soldier told the soldiers that they 
knew his orders as well as he did and that he had no orders 
to attack the Federals. The men now crowed around the 
colonel and insisted on giving them a call ; that they would 
shoulder the responsibility; when the colonel though anxious, 
reluctantly consented, and ordering his men to deploy for a 
charge and to pull down the fences preparatory; when they 
charged pell mell right through the center of the place and 
such a sight as met their gaze almost made heartless demons 
of them, for never before had they beheld with their own 
eyes, war waged against helpless women and children and 
maidens ravished, one raising herself from the ground as her 
ravisher fled from her, waved her hand and exclaimed : "Go 
in my brave boys and avenge the wrongs of the Southern 
women!" The Federals fled as fast as their horses would 
carry them, in the direction of their troops. A line of infan- 
try hearing the rapidly advancing firing formed to receive 
the charge. The fleeing Federals followed so closely by the 
Confederates tore the line all to pieces. Another heavier 
line of infantry in like manner was shattered and then they 
approached a third and still more formidable line right under 
the brow of a hill on which about sixteen pieces of artillery 
were forming supported by the 17th army corps. The soldier 
man being mounted on one of the best chargers of his com- 
mand, having pursued >the retreating Federals near two 
miles and now following closely after the last retreating 
ravisher of the little town having distanced his comrades at 
least 400 yards ; and who had halted up and were forming in 
his rear as they had discovered the artillery and main body 

48 



of the enemy just before the soldier man dashed into the 
third line, they delivered a volley at the Confederates form- 
ing on the opposite hill, missing him and his hors,e in a 
flash he darted among them and took in the situation. Rais- 
ing himself to his full height and waving his fourth pistol 
above his head in a loud commanding tone exclaimed : "Sur- 
render every hoof of you for if you do not we will not show 
you any quarters for the way your men have been acting 
over here." A little fellow just to his left cried out oh 
Lordy ! Lordy! I surrender! I surrender! and just danced 
around ; the guns dropped to the ground all around him ; just 
at this juncture a large fine looking federal officer pointed 
back upon the hill where the artillery was forming, and was 
reloading a gun, as he was retreating, exclaimed in a very 
cool and positive manner : "We've got plenty more right back 
upon the hill sir." In a flash turning his horses head to the 
left and toward the officer ; he exclaimed : "Do you suppose 
sir, we don't know your numbers, and you in an enemy's 
country? You had better surrender sir, if you know what's 
good for you. The officer wheeled and shot at him but 
missed, in a few bounds of his noble charger, which had real- 
ly brought him there, he was by the officer's side, and de- 
liberately pointing his pistol at him commanded the officer 
to drop that gun or he would blow his brains out. He drop- 
ped it, and wheeling his horse around in a loud voice com- 
manded them to get back out of there as fast as possible; 
that the battle would soon open ; as they moved down into 
the hollow between the two hills on which the Federals 
were forming and the Confederates were forming, the 
soldier man counted one-hundred and fifty-three when 
they arrived in the hollow where a little branch 
run ; with some shrubbery about waist high, and a lot of tall 
long leaf pines, the Federal artillery opened fire at the Con- 
federates and the cannon balls passed through the tops of 
the pines and over their heads, cutting off the limbs and 
falling among the prisoners, when to save themselves they 
had to dodge them. The roar of the artillery deadened all 
sound. The soldier man pointing his pistol first at one and 
then at another he drove eight on up the hill into his lines ; 
before he arrived at his lines his body servant rode up to the 
Federal officer (who was among the eight prisoners) and 
grabbed his hat off of his head remarking: "I lost my hat in 
the charge and I must have one." The officer in a deprecat- 
ing manner looked at his captor ; who commanded his servant 
to return the hat, that he was able and would get him a hat; 
and the servant returned it, when the officer thanked his 
captor. When he reached his lines he turned the eight p/ris- 

49 



oners over to the soldiers; who carried them back to the 
colonel. He then rode down the hill toward the Federals to 
where he saw a fine gun and cartridge box laying; picked 
them up, returned to his lines, dismounted, loaded his new 
and singular gun and commenced shooting at the Federals; 
while thus engaged a courier came after him and told him 
to report to the colonel, arriving there at the colonel's the 
Federal officer said: "Colonel, there is the man that captured 
me ; now if he says he will deliver me unharmed to the prison 
and you will put him in charge of us, I'll go with him any- 
where you say go, he is a brave man and I am not afraid to 
go with him." It seems that the officer had overheard the 
Confederates talking about three of the prisoners captured 
that were guilty of rape, and that they ought to be shot and 
not imprisoned and the officer and men captured were afraid 
if they were sent oft" with them that they might meet the same 
fate at the hands of an outraged soldiery that were enemies. 
The colonel called the soldier man to one side and confiden- 
tially told him what was the matter and asked him to take 
charge of the prisoners and deliver them to the authorities 
at Savannah, Ga. The soldier man, who for convenience 
we will now call Private, asked that he be allowed to pick 
his men to guard the prisoners on to Savannah, and he did 
so, asking for only eight, he making the ninth, by standing 
guard himself; it would make three reliefs of three men, 
each for thirty-two prisoners, among whom were the three 
rapists and he delivered all at Savannah the next day, point- 
ing out the three rapists to the civil officers and turning them 
all over to the military authorities ; shaking hands with all 
the prisoners, who thanked him for coming with them, bid 
them good-bye and was returning to his command, when he 
met a lieutenant of his own company who told him to fall in 
with them that he was cut off from the colonel and would 
have to report to the general that commanded the forces at 
Savannah. The general who was a Dutchman asked him if 
he had a man he could rely on and he pointed out the Pri- 
vate. The general then told him he wanted him to go to a 
certain man's house and that he lived near the Federal lines 
on the Ogeechee Island, and asked him if he knew where 
the pickets stood, and see if he could enter their lines, and 
find out about how many were on the Island, and report back 
by daylight. The Private carried out orders, and as the man 
he sent him to was a middle aged man and full of vim, he 
told the Private that he would go with him if he would let 
him have one of his pistols. The Private told him he had 
four, and he would furnish him two, and ammunition, and 
that they were Colt's 45-cal. He bid his refined, beautiful 

50 



young wife good-bye with a parting kiss, after dark, and 
led the way to the picket line, which they soon reached, and 
then the Private took charge, who secretly told his companion 
he had been on like errands, that his first experience was just 
before the Battle of Shiloh ; so slipping as close as he dare 
to the lines, he awaited the coming of the relief guard, which 
was not long; when they halted, he got their exact position, 
before they reached the picket just in front of him. When 
they halted, and as they were relieving the guard, and during 
the noise, taking his friend by one hand and with pistols 
ready for action in the other hand, they passed easily with- 
out detection inside of the lines ; they had not gone far, when 
they passed over a rise, and on another they could distinctly 
see fires around a neighbor's house. On arrival at the house, 
though they heard noises before their arrival, all was still, 
and on examination everything fit to eat or use in any way 
had been carried away, also all the family, whites and ne- 
groes, and not an animal of any kind could be found and 
nothing but a cockerel and one or two mates, that happened 
to crow once while they were there, could be found ; and they 
had taken refuge in the extreme thick top of a large oak shade 
tree ; and they never molested them. His companion told 
him that was the first sign of war he had ever seen, and that 
it made him feel awful. 

After finding out that there were fully encamped on the 
northwest end of the Island an entire army corps, they re- 
traced their steps to the companion's house, without any un- 
common occurrence taking place ; and getting something to 
eat, reported before daylight to the General, and he was 
surprised to discover that he was considerably under the in- 
fluence of stimulants. Early in the morning he ordered his 
troop, which were raw militia, to the front, and ordered the 
Lieutenant to take the Private who knew where the Federals 
were, hunt them up, retreat before them and bring on the 
fight. That is what they were accustomed to, and leading 
the way to the Federal camp, found them forming in col- 
umns to march to Savannah ; and though but a mere handful, 
deploying every five yards apart fell back in regular order 
until they struck the line of battle formed by the raw militia 
from Savannah, who had several pieces of artillery with 
them, and retreating as usual after a brisk fire, inside; just at 
this juncture both lines of the infantry commenced firing, 
when the General rode up to the Lieutenant and told him to 
charge the enemy that were moving in three columns, the 
central column along the main Savannah road with one on 
either side about two or less hundred yards apart, and paral- 
lel with the column in the road, and a line of battle that more 

51 



than lapped the Confederate line. The brave Lieutenant, 
who had never refused to carry out an order, ordered his men 
who were retreating in regular line of battle with the Private 
on the extreme left, to about face, examine arms, and pre- 
pare for a charge ; as the infantry lines were now firing heav- 
ily he looked upon such an act as folly. Pulling off his hat 
and waving it, that was answered simultaneously by the 
waving of the Private's hat, the little squad of eighteen 
troopers charged through and over their own line of firing 
infantry, with their Colt's one solid blaze of fire ; they darted 
right into and through the Federal lines, and into the head of 
the central column. It proved the last charge of the brave 
Lieutenant and many of that little band. The Private, and 
the first comrade to his right, a youth of only sixteen years 
(who was well mounted and well developed of his age), keep- 
ing straight ahead ran, or charged rather, through the Fed- 
eral lines out into the open between the two columns. It 
was now all excitement and bustle in front ; which was now 
behind to them ; the two troopers, who, keeping abreast, and 
pressing a little closer together, handgalloped, pistols in hand, 
but without firing any more, as all were engaging attention 
at the front ; they seemingly unnoticed passed out around 
the rear end of the right column of the Federals, and turning 
to their left, encircling the rear end of the column, made 
rapidly back in the direction of the bridge across the big 
O'geechee ; and the only means of crossing the river. The 
Confederates that had not been killed or captured, had re- 
treated across the bridge, and as the two privates neared the 
bridge, they discovered the Federals in possssion of the near 
end, which was more than two hundred yards long. Fed- 
eral cavalry now discovering them, tried to capture ; being 
pursued a short distance, they took to a swamp, and the 
Federals abandoned the pursuit. They stopped in the swamp 
and dismounted letting their animals pick grass and rest from 
their burdens. The Private knew that they were on an island 
some six miles long and three miles wide, formed by the big 
Ogeechee that lay north of them, and between them and Sa- 
vannah; the Atlantic ocean on the east; the little Ogeechee 
on the south, and the canal cutting across from one Ogeechee 
to the other on the west. As it was explained to him by his 
companion of the previous night and that the only feasible 
exits to and from the island, were the three bridges, oneacross 
exits to and from the is'land, were the three bridges, one across 
the little Ogeechee on the south side of the island; and one 
across the big Ogeechee to the north in the direction of Sa- 
vannah, from whence he had just come after delivering the 
prisoners. Knowing that the Federals were in force on the 



52 



island, and that in all probability that the third and last bridge 
which was across the little Ogeechee and to the south, was 
also in their possession, they thought it best to keep quiet, 
till dark and until all was quiet in the Federal camps. About 
ten o'clock they rode out of the swamp into the Federal camp 
on the higher ground, where were their smoldering fires, and 
the soldiers tired and wearied, from their march were sound 
asleep ; riding out into the main road running from south 
to north across the island from one bridge to the other, and 
a public road intersecting it about half way from the west, 
and coming across the canal bridge, then turning to the 
right, and moving along in the center of the main 
road toward Savannah ; carrying each a pistol in 
their right hand and prepared for action ; on the top of a 
gentle rise and flush against the road, they saw a large bright 
fire and a guard standing in front of the tent in which was a 
bright light. Written in large letters on a sign General Sher- 
man's headquarters. The "new issue," asked the Private; 
you are not a-going to ride right by there through that light, 
and by that guard? Yes, was the positive reply. The Private 
was dressed out and out in a fine Confederate gray jeans, 
woven by his sister and cut out and made by the •home tailor, 
and mounted with Confederate buttons, a fine pair of calf 
cavalry boots, with a pair of large steel spurs, mounted on a 
fine horse, and riding U. S. cavalry General's silver mounted 
saddle by fire, as he was fully six feet in height and wearing 
a new cockade hat, he looked every inch a soldier. Keeping 
his face direct to the front, and being on the side next to 
the sentinel ; the "new issue," who was well mounted, as he 
moved into the bright glare of the light instinctively drew 
back, when the Private commanded him to move up. When 
the sentinel brought his gun to present arms, and they moved 
by ; as he had no business with the General just then, and 
seeing him resting peacefully on his cot, he wouldn't disturb 
him. Since then he has often wondered if he ought not to 
have shot the sentinel as well as General, but as he was al- 
ways taught to never take advantage of an innocent and un- 
suspecting foe, and in a cowardly manner thus take life, and 
thinking that if they could capture him, they could not suc- 
cessfully get away with him into their own lines, all of which 
passed through his young brain. They passed quietly on, in 
the direction of the big Ogeechee bridge and Savannah. 
Soon again they passed General's 20 Army Corps ; then 
General Blair's 17 Army Corps, and riding a short distance 
through the soldiers, whose fires were smouldering, and they 
fast asleep on either side of the road, their camps soon gave 
out, which made the Private think they were in the vicinity 

53 



of the bridge, and so they were ; riding a short distance, the 
Private told his comrade to hold his horse just off the road 
back of a large oak tree, that he examined as minutely as 
possible in the dark ; so that he could easily distinguish the 
place. When, taking off his spurs and a holster pistol in each 
hand, having two in his belt holsters, he cautiously proceed- 
ed down the road towards the bridge to reconoiter ; he soon 
discovered four pickets standing on the end of the bridge, 
and near by under a large live-oak tree to the left one senti- 
nel standing, and about fifty or maybe a hundred men lying 
asleep. Seeing such a heavy guard he thought blest to ex- 
amine further, and turning to the right and down the river 
he proceeded, and in about one hundred yards discovered two 
more pickets standing ; the river here gradually turned to the 
left, here he struck two more pickets. Now looking back up 
the river, the Private saw all the center of the bridge gone, 
and he thought how foolish to have such a heavy picket ; but 
the Federals had an immense army and they could (he said) 
afford it. Just at this juncture a Johhny yelled out: Halloo 
over there, have you got a fellow over ther by the name of 
J. R. ? "The Federals consulting among themselves for a 
few minutes, answered, no! Then the Johnny asked about 
several other men, when they answered no. They then call- 
ed the name of the Private, and then answered that they 
thought he was killed in the battle. The news was carried 
to the Private's home ; when his poor invalid mother fainted 
and fell to the floor, repeating, No! no! Never! never! My 
son has never done anything to be killed for, and she then 
mourned for him as dead, and all the family and friends. 
The private went some distance down the river and found 
pickets standing in twos all the way and occasionally a picket 
reserve. When he retraced his steps to his now wearied and 
waiting comrade, who told him he heard the conversation 
at the bridge. Retracing their steps right down the big road 
and into the swamp as quick as they could (as revelle had 
sounded), where they remained all day, sitting on cypress 
knees and their horses standing in water, and they wondering 
how to proceed to get out of there. The Federals were 
camped all around the entire swamp, and they could hear 
them distinctly talking, laughing, and ever and anon giving 
commands. Slipping about from knee to knee, gathering 
moss and swamp grass to feed their horses, while fasting 
themselves, and planning how to get out of there without 
being detected, captured or killed, they spent the day ; also 
listening at the roar of arms and artillery in the direction of 
the coast, eastward, during the entire day. Dark night brood- 
ing over them again, and when all was still in the camp, they 

54 



moved out of the swamp, and took the south end of the road 
towards the little Ogeechee bridge. Coming to a large rice 
plantation, they soon discovered hundreds of cattle, moving 
slowly through them along the road, near their center and 
alongside of the road, there was a bright pine knot fire and 
a large live-oak tree with guns sitting up all around, and 
haversacks hanging on them, and sitting at the root of the 
tree one soldier with a gun across his lap, and sound asleep ; 
alaying all around more than fifty more, all asleep and hold- 
ing the halters of their horses in their hands. The Private 
told his comrade to hold his horse, when, he dismounted and 
going to the tree he examined the haversacks and found all 
empty but one, and it contained three roasted, medium-size, 
sweet potatoes, still warm, and evidently just roasted and 
put in there by the now sleeping sentinel ; taking them out 
and putting them into his own haversack, examining their 
arms, and finding his superior, mounted his horse, and pull- 
ing the potatoes from the haversack, divided them with his 
comrade, and proceeded on down the road, his comrade be- 
ing all smiles at their success, and he talking how he would 
like to stampede the cattle if he knew how to get out of there. 
On the right hand side of the road they came to a large two 
story house, and out houses, barn, cribs, &c, all deserted, 
and not a human being to be found ; the Private now entered 
a crib to see if perchance he could find anything for their 
poor famishing horses ; the crib was half filled with shucks, 
and gathering up an arm full he gave them to their horses to 
eat, and re-entered the crib to see if perchance any corn could 
be found among the shucks. While hunting in one of the 
corners of the crib by feeling with his hands down along over 
the floor as it was intensely dark, he ran his hand into some- 
thing soft and woolly ; he pulled at it and a negro man said, 
Oo, oo! What is it Massy? The Private told him not to be 
frightened, that he w r as looking for some corn for his horse, 
and he told him he need not look, that the soldiers had took 
even all the shattered corn, and that they had taken every- 
thing from about the place to eat. He then said look here, 
Massa, ain't you one of our/folks. When the Private, seeing 
him hiding, told him who he was, and inquiring where the 
Federals were, and if he knew where their pickets were, and 
that he was cut off in the fight day before yesterday, and 
that he wanted to get back to his command, and that he 
wouldn't bother him, and asked him not to give him away, 
nor let the Federals know he had seen him ; he told the Pri- 
vate that the Federals took off Ole Massa, and all the ne- 
groes, and he had hid in the shucks, and he didn't want to go 
with them ; that they told the young negro men they had 



55 



freed them, and they would have to pay them back by fight- 
ing for them, and he didn't want to go with them no how; 
that he saw how they treated the colored girls, and that was 
enough for him ; and he was going to keep out of their way 
any how. The Private inquired again about their pickets, 
and if there were any at the little Ogeechee bridge, and he 
told him they were all around the island everywhere, and 
that no one could go on or off of the island, and that he didn't 
know of any place that he could cross the river at all, that 
their banks were generally perpendicular and so very steep 
and boggy that no stock loose or running at large could cross 
and that there was but one place where stock could pass off 
or onto the island, and that was five or six miles from there ; 
the way one would have to go, and at that particular cross- 
ing it was a trail out across the canal which was generally 
swimming. As their horses were seemingly very fond of 
the shucks, he left his comrade there to 
take care of the horses, and let them eat, while he prepared 
himself and went down to the bridge to inspect, some half 
mile distant. Arriving in the vicinity of the bridge, he found 
similar conditions existing there, to those existing at the big 
Ogeechee bridge; four pickets were standing on the end of 
the bridge, and a reserve of about one hundred men near, 
with a sentinel leaning on his gun ; examining the river bank, 
he found two pickets at intervals along the bank, and the 
bridge gone ; so he thought that there must be Confederate 
troops to the south ; but he never heard any noise on the 
opposite bank, all seemed quiet ; and he returned to his com- 
rade, and reporting everything as it was, and it agreeing with 
what the negro had told him, he got instructions how to go 
to the crossing on the canal, and they started for that point ; 
having to travel by-roads, it was difficult to find the way, it 
being quite dark. While wandering around, Revelle being 
sounded and discovering they were in the edge of a swamp 
they rode into it, and while with care they could screen them- 
selves. Federals were camped all around it. Nothing unusual 
passed or happened, except the continual roar of musketry 
and artillery all day in an easterly direction towards the 
coast. At night when all was quiet again, it was very dark, 
and they tried to make their way to where they could cross 
the canal. While trying to find the way, they came to the 
citizen's house that entered the Federal lines the night be- 
fore the fight. There was a bright light in the house, and a 
cavalry command lying all around the house, with their 
horses saddled ready to mount at a moment's warning ; not 
a soul was stirring. Telling his comrade to hold his horse, 
the Private made his way as best he could through the 

56 



dense sleeping cavalry to the house, and tapping lightly on 
the door, he heard some one leap out of a bed on to the floor 
with bare feet, and approach the door and unlock it, and 
slowly pulling the door open ; when the Private putting his 
head in the partly opened door about three feet above the 
floor, looked all around the room ; then turning his head or 
face rather, up sidewise, he caught his former companion's 
eye in the bright glare of the fire light, and his companion 
recognized him, and asked if all the Federals had gone, and 
he told him no, in a subdued tone, and that they were laying 
all around the house, but that they were asleep ; he then 
opened the door sufficiently to let the Private in, and told 
him to come in, as no one was in the room but his wife, in a 
low tone. When he stepped in his beautiful little wife, leap- 
ed out of the bed and ran to him, in her beautiful white 
gown, and little plump, dimpled feet, and was overjoyed 
seemingly to see him, thinking the Federals were all gone. 
He now told them what had taken place, and wanted to find 
the way to the crossing on the canal. While he was talking 
with her husband getting directions, she asked him if he had 
had anything to eat, and she pointed to a little pile of pota- 
toes in one corner of the room, and told him they had taken 
everything they had to eat but them, and some in the oven 
by the fire, baked ; and taking off the lid of the oven, filled 
his haversack with roasted potatoes, thanking them and bid- 
ding them a hurried and affectionate good-bye, he hurried to 
his half-starved companion and horses; and started for the 
crossing. They hadn't gone far, when they heard a large 
cavalry command approaching, and they turned off of the 
by-road to let them pass. It was getting gray dawn, and 
they continued into a swamp, and the cavalry command 
camped along the unoccupied side as the balance was sur- 
rounded by infantry and artillery. 

It was now December nth, 1865, and a chilling arctic 
wave was sweeping southward, and ice was forming rapidly, 
and it was very bad on their two horses standing in the icy 
water, and without any food, except what they could gather 
by grazing on some tall, coarse swamp grass. The Private 
and his comrade saving the peel, and the ends of every po- 
tato they ate, and gave to their faithful, half-starved horses. 
About 4 o'clock in the afternoon the Private's comrade was 
complaining so greatly, and that his feet were freezing ; that 
looking around and seeing a large cypress hollow about as 
far up as a man's head, he gathered some dry leaves and 
trash, he soon kindled him a fire, where he soon warmed his 
feet and body, little suspecting that the very comfort he was 
enjoying came near costing both their lives, and did cost 



0/ 



them their liberties, for, as the tree was a vary large one and 
hollow to the top, so the smoke curled out at the top of the 
hollow, and was discovered from the higher lands ; so the 
General sent into the swamp his Sergeant Major with two of 
his escort to s,ee what it meant ; when they were discovered, 
when, with drawn pistols ready for action, they advanced 
to near where they were concealed. The Private told the 
comrade to take a pistol in each hand, and he did the same, 
and when the trio were in a few yards of them, the Private 
said: Halt! in a commanding tone, when, trembling from 
head to foot, they obeyed. He then said : We will surrender 
to you if you will let us retain our clothing and blankets, if 
not, then here goes! The officer answered: Oh, certainly, 
sir, and as I am the General's Sergeant Major I will tell the 
same to the General, and I feel certain he will grant it. They 
then gave them their arms and in a short while they were 
again among the Federals, but as prisoners. The Private told 
them that he and his comrade had been in their camps ever 
since the day of the fight. So when they arrived at the Gen- 
eral's headquarters the Sergeant told the General where they 
were in the swamp and the terms on which they surrendered 
When the General said, Awe, tut-tut ! he wouldn't dare to 
have hurt you inside of our lines ; why he knew they would 
have been blown all to pieces. The Sergeant Major said, 
General, I hope you will grant the terms of surrender, as I 
believe him to be a very determined man. The General 
laughed and said all right, but it is a pretty bold act to sur- 
render on terms inside of the army ; and asked the Private 
when he knew he couldn't get out, why he hadn't come and 
surrendered. The Private answered the General, that the 
weather was cold, and it had been reported that one of the 
ablest bodied men in his company had been reported frozen 
to death in Camp Chase, Ohio, and that he didn't want to 
take the chances. The General asked him, as he had been in 
the camps several days and nights what he would have re- 
ported ; and about how many men he supposed they had ; 
and he answered that he didn't know that he would be called 
upon to report anything, but if he was called upon, he thought 
there were about 50,000, when the General remarked, Why, 
sir, we have 250,000. He then asked him his politics, when 
he told him he was a pretty good rebel now, he supposed ; 
that he was in his teens when he entered the army, but that 
his father was a strong Union man, and voted Union or co- 
operation, he was not positive which, but that he knew he 
was not a secessionist. The General asked him how long he 
had been in the army, and if he had been in any battles. He 
told him that he had, but that his comrade had not been in 

S8 



the army but a short time. The General asked him if he was 
at the battle of Chickamagua, and at Murfreesboro. He told 
him yes; and at Perryville and at Shiloh ; when the General 
answered, Why, you have been all through the thing. The 
Private then told him if being in the army and what he had 
witnessed constituted being a rebel, then he reckoned he was 
a pretty good one ; for he had experienced a great deal of 
army life. The General wanted to know if he had ever been 
captured or wounded before. He told him no, but that sev- 
eral times he had had the blood of his comrades or their 
horses spattered over him. Espying the saddle on his nice 
horse, he asked him where he got that. The Private told him 
on the banks of the Chattahoochee river at Filpot's ferry, 
when they captured the most of General McCook's command. 
The General told the Sergeant Major to carry him down to 
his camp and take care of him. They offered the prisoners 
what they had to eat, which was a few sweet potatoes and 
some Georgia beef, which proved very palatable, as they had 
had no meat in about five days. They placed two guards 
over the prisoners, who were reclining on the side of the hill 
above the fire. The comrade soon fell asleep, but the Private 
was wide awake when a man in old tattered clothes and 
slouch hat came sauntering down from headquarters, and 
approaching the fire on the opposite side, looked across, and 
catching the Private's wakeful eye peering out from under 
his pulled clown hat brim, spoke, How are you, Johnny? and 
he answered, How do you do, sir? whereupon he commenced 
chatting with him across the fire, and talking to him about 
the Southern States and how well he liked them, the South- 
ern hospitality, and delightful climate ; that he was only a 
teamster, and that he had only volunteered for three months, 
and that when his time was out, he and three hundred thou- 
sand others would never be drafted any more ; that he 
thought the war would end then ; that the Federals would 
hardly be able to raise another army, and that the South had 
fought so hard for her independence, and he thought they 
ought to have it, and getting up and coming around the fire 
close by the side of the Private, he in an undertone com- 
menced bemeaning the Federal vandalism, and sympathizing 
with the Southern people ; now holding his head rather close 
and almost whispering, he said, Johnny don't you recollect 
one time up in Georgia one day when you and I were secret 
scouts, and we eat dinner at a farmer's house in the country? 
The Private, looking him directly in the eye, and then look- 
ing around, he discovered the guards had fallen back several 
paces ; in a flash, comprehending the whole situation, and 
fully discovering who he was then talking to, the Private 

59 



rose to his feet and delivered himself, thusly : Sir, I know 
who you are ; you are a Colonel, and I saw you at headquar- 
ters, when I was there. You are trying to draw me out, as 
you think to make me give myself away and implicate me as 
a spy ; sir, I was captured or surrendered as a soldier, with 
my arms on and in my Confederate uniform, and you dare 
not treat me otherwise ; I have never been a spy ; I am not 
too timid to be one, for I love my cause and country ; and if I 
was called upon to serve it in such a capacity, and I was free 
and at liberty to act, I would do so. I never met you in 
Georgia, and took dinner with you, at any house. I am no 
recreant, and I am not afraid to tell you or the world, that I 
have acted for my country on detached duty as a scout, but 
I was not apprehended or captured in such a capacity, and 
you dare not treat me otherwise than as a soldier. The Col- 
onel being detected, now rose, and went whistling back to- 
wards headquarters. 

The Private's bold assertion of facts, must have saved 
him from further annoyance then, but he was watched like 
a hawk, and next day he was sent off with his comrade, put 
in the hold of a ship, and sent to Hilton-Head ; South Car- 
olina, at the mouth of Port Royal Harbor, and placed in 
prison, if it could be called such. They were held under 
guard, on an open sand beach on the north end of the island. 
The Private says, to the best of his recollections. He was 
made issuing sergeant for one hundred men, and there were 
seven other issuing sergeants, and a General Tompkins, Tom- 
kies, or Thompson, came out to the prison and gave the 
prisoners a talk, telling them that he was born and raised in 
the North, but on account of his health, he had moved South 
several years before hostilities commenced ; and that he learn- 
ed to love the Southern people and that home, while south 
was at Jacksonville, Fla. ; that a very painful duty had been 
imposed upon him to perform, and it pained him very much 
to have to carry it out ; that he was ordered to feed them on 
pickles and musty meal, in retaliation for Andersonville, 
Georgia, and that he had orders to that effect, from headquart- 
ers, that nothing pained him more than to have to carry out 
such an order. During his remarks he made himself known to 
several that belonged to a secret order. The Private and many 
others in the prison belonged to it. Now it was claimed that 
the Federal prisoners were treated that way that were con- 
fined at Andersonville prison, Georgia. The rations were I 
ounce of salt vitriol pickles put up in barrel, and I pound of 
musty meal, that was in sacks. A Federal Colonel who had 
talked with the Private several times, now came to him and 
told him he fe'lt deeply interested in him someway and told 

60 



him, if he would agree not to try to escape and go back south, 
that he had a nice home in Ohio, and that he could go there 
and remain until the cessation of hostilities, and that it should 
not cost him a cent, and that his name was Velasco, and that 
he could get his release if he would accept it. The Private 
told him that he felt such a course was dishonorable and he 
could not do so. The Brackish water obtained from shallow 
wells or holes dug in the sands, and the diet, in about ten 
days commenced telling upon the healthy frames of those 
men, some of whom had become veterans indeed in war, in 
all its horrors, but had never faced death before in such a 
style ; now a death, then in twos, and threes. The most in- 
telligent of the prisoners collected in groups and discussed 
their situation. Exposed on the bleak open island, without 
a tent or covering of any kind, and it in the month of Janu- 
ary, and mid winter on the west coast of the dark roaring At- 
lantic. Brackish water to drink, salt vitriol pickles and 
musty, stale, wormy meal to eat. During the arctic waves, 
their threadbare clothing was little protection, and gathering 
in schools of a hundred or more, they would march for hours 
to keep warm by exercise, and when worn out walking or 
marching, they would lay down to rest in holes dug in the 
sand, for ten or twelve men to lay in heaps like hogs, to keep 
warm, and to cut off the cold, damp, freezing north wind. 
Once stalwart, stout, cheerful, brisk moving soldiers, that 
had for years contended for every inch of ground that they 
were gradually forced back over, by the best drilled, equip- 
ped, fed and clothed army in the world ; in a few weeks were 
reduced to starved, wan, hollow-eyed, lean, lank, crawling, 
miserable wretches, and at the end of forty days the fatality 
was a hundred ; locomotion had ceased, the vacant stare from 
the sunken eyeballs, that a few weeks ago were the bright, 
virtuous, clear, cheerful, joyous, hopeful windows of the soul, 
of a brave youth, now only indicated that reason had fled, 
before the lingering soul had taken its flight, into the untried, 
unknown beyond, to commingle perchance with their com- 
rades, that' had passed in varied ways, to recount with each 
other the unmitigated horrors of their sad passage. Pardon 
the writer, as his feeble pen will try to paint a prison scene 
as told by the Private that happened about this time. Two 
men were dying; the Private with at least two hundred of the 
prisoners names, appended to some resolutions adopted 
among the prisoners, who were supposed to be rational 
enough to know what was best, and to preserve their com- 
rade's lives if possible, was kneeling over them and telling 
them, and trying to explain to them that they had done all 
that mortals could for their country, as they were now dying; 



61 



and situated as they were they could not live at best but a 
few days ; but it had been decided by their sane comrades ; 
that they may yet live, first for their God, and second for their 
families ; and now if they would agree not to take up arms 
any more against the government of the United States, they 
would send them to the hospital ; and if they lived, it would 
be first for their God and then for their families ; and to take 
that paper with them, and it would exhonorate them in 
their actions ; as having done all in their power for their 
loved country ; and that no comrade who was a brave soldier, 
would charge them with disloyalty ; with the Private was a 
Federal colonel, who was there to administer the oath. Just 
at this juncture a Federal lieutenant and a private approach- 
ed the dead line, when the lieutenant said : "Guards, I am 
just from Andersonville prison, and I want to talk to the 
prisoners." The guards told him that they had orders not 
to let any one talk to the prisoners ; but as you are an officer, 
and these prisoners are retaliated on for the way they were 
treated he reckoned it would be allright. Wesolowski, (a 
Polander) and a very intelligent soldier approached the line 
opposite where the lieutenant stood ; when they spoke to 
each other, and the lieutenant inquired what rations they re- 
ceived daily. Wesolowski told him I oz. pickles and I oz. 
musty meal. He then inquired what that Federal colonel 
was doing in the prison. Wesolowski answered : "A great 
many of the prisoners have died ; and that when a prisoner 
got so low that the prisoners that were not stricken down, 
and still able to go, and were supposed to be sane, would 
sign a list of resolutions to the effect that their treatment 
would prove fatal at any time, and that their comrades were 
satisfied under existing circumstances that they were actually 
dead to their country, and would never be able to serve it 
any more. But as the first and highest duty of man was his 
duty to his Creator, and that as his .second duty was to his 
family, and that his third was to his 'country ; and as they 
knew full well that they had discharged fully every duty they 
could for their country, except to die ; and that their com- 
rades that were still supposed to be sane, were willing to at- 
test to the same ; that if they would agree not to take up 
arms any more against the U. S. A. that they would take 
them to a hospital and try and restore them to health. The 
two prisoners turned over on their sides and refused to take 
the oath, or accept their comrades' resolutions of exonera- 
tion or culpability. The Private then arose and walked over 
to where Wesolowski and the lieutenant were conversing. 
Eyeing closely the lieutenant and the private that were re- 
puted to be from Andersonville and exchanging the military 

62 



salute. The private saw they were scrupulously neat and 
clean, and both attired in new military suits according to 
their rank, but they looked very much emaciated. He asked 
them if they had been exchanged, they answered no. That 
a great many were sick and they were paroled then on their 
honor ; not to take up arms until legally exchanged. The 
Private then asked him what rations they received at Ander- 
sonville, and the lieutenant answered 1-4 lb. of bacon, 1-2 lb. 
of meal and whenever they could get any they issued them 
turnips and potatoes ; but he said you know being confined 
in prison is bad at best, and the meal didn't agree with north- 
ern troops, that they were used to wheat bread. The Private 
told him that exactly the same rations that he had were issu- 
ed to him for several months to fight on ; about that time 
one of the prisoners called to the Private to come quick, the 
two prisoners were both dead. The lieutenant took out a 
nice handkerchief and commenced wiping the tears that were 
trickling down those clean yet thin cheeks, and remarked : 
"My God, has it come to this ; that my country punishes inno- 
cent, helpless prisoners this way, to extort an oath from them ; 
Great God ! Anderson was hell, but this is worse than hell !" 
The guards now said, no more talking, while the 
weeping Goddess of Liberty brooded in sorrow over 
the sad fate of the two loyal Confederates, and de- 
clared that in her power such a state of affairs 
should not exist long within her realms. In eight more 
days, seventy-six more of those poor, lean, lank, wan, hollow 
lusterless-eyed, miserable, crawling, bone crackiag and clank- 
ing Hilton Head, S. C. Confederate prisoners joined their 
hundred comrades that had just preceded them to the realms 
of boundless eternity. Twenty-two was the greatest mor- 
tality during twenty-four hours. The prison was now or- 
dered to be broken up. During the forty-eight days accord- 
ing to the Private's recollection, as they would send details 
out to get fuel out of the drift wood, under guard, the de- 
tails would pick up all kinds of old refuse vegetable and oys- 
ter cans ; and pieces of iron pewter, lead, solder, etc. The 
cans to cook the stale, wormy meal, and the solder to mend 
them with. Sealing them up tight and fastening them under 
their arms by strings, on dark, drizzling nights ; twelve had 
passed the guards, with the intention of swimming to the 
main land, six miles distant; whether they ever arrived there 
or not, has never been learned by the Private. Eighty-six 
were sent to the hospital and the balance were sent to Fort 
Delaware, five hundred and thirty-four. The writer saw in 
a history of the war by E. A. Pollard, in the eighteenth chap- 
ter and fourth edition, where out of four hundred and sixty- 

63 



two prisoners that arrived at Fort Delaware, only sixty could 
walk to the barracks, and that a great many of them had 
their teeth to drop out and their finger nails and toe nails 
to fester and drop out, and many of them had holes eaten 
into their flesh until it exposed the bones ; and the horrors 
of their prison life on the Island of Hilton Head before they 
were removed, equaled, if it did not surpass, anything of the 
horrors of the middle ages. So, if what the Private states 
be correct and what the history states is correct, by deduct- 
ing four hundred and sixty-two from the five hundred and 
thirty four, there must have been a mortality of seventy-two 
on the passage from Hilton Head to Fort Delaware. The 
Private states, also, that many of the eighty-six that were 
sent to the hospital died. That of all those that recovered, 
they wouldn't allow any of them only the liberty of the Is- 
land until the first of May, some two months and ten or fif- 
teen days, and as each invalid recovered enough to go to 
work they put him to work loading and unloading vessels, 
and told them they were, and would be on trial to see how 
well they would keep their promise not to take up arms 
against the U. S. government any more, and told them they 
would pay them for their work, but placed negro guards 
•over them. They would work one-half of the prisoners, or 
as they styled themselves Galvanized Yankees, from 6 
o'clock in the morning until 6 o'clock in the evening ; and the 
other half from 6 o'clock p. m. until 6 o'clock a. in. During 
the time they were working them, one of the prisoners, who 
was very young, about seventeen, being worked at night, a 
light barrel came rolling by him and he kicked at it to stop 
it, and missed the side of it, as it was rolling very fast, and 
struck it on its head, knocking it in and several nice suits of 
clothes came rolling out, getting in the dark of a torch or 
lantern; he donned a suit right away and started to walk 
down the gangway, when fearing he would be detected; he 
walked to the edge, stooped, caught hold of a beam and 
swung off, thinking he would strike the surface of the tide 
where it was near four feet deep, which would break his fall, 
and he could walk out all right, but alas, he miscalculated, 
when, as the tide had gone out, he fell some thirty-five feet 
on the hard sand, and so sprained one of his ankles that he 
could not walk on it; when he crawled to a house near by 
and found it occupied by an old negress ; and told her he 
had fallen off of the gangway and had sprained his ankle so 
he couldn't walk. She said to him: "Look here child, a'n't 
you one of them prisoners working on the dock. Look here 
child, Aunty a'n't going to give you away." And she took 
him and secreted him, doctored, nursed and fed him for about 

64 



two weeks, until his ankle got sound,' and stored him away 
in the hold of a ship that touched there that was going to the 
whale fisheries in the North Pacific. 

One dark, drizzling, rainy night when the Private was 
very sick and lying in his bunk, two of the negro guards came 
to the barracks between 12 and I o'clock at night and asked 
for the Private, stating that they were ordered to bring him 
to the dock dead or alive. The prisoners told them that he 
was very sick and that he could not go. Feeling along in 
the dark they arrived at his bunk and told him to get ready, 
that they were ordered to bring him to the dock. He told 
them he was ready, as he had his clothes on and his shoes, 
but that he would have to crawl, and he had the dysentery so 
tyad he couldn't walk. Though it was as dark as Egypt and 
drizzling rain, and the threadbare suit he had on was all he 
had, and they would neither turn rain or cold ; and his suffer- 
ing was so great that he had given up all hope of life, and 
tried to be resigned to the wrongs inflicted, as it seemed all 
the Stevedore wanted was to punish him in any conceivable 
way that he could. So saying, Good-bye Boys, to those who 
had been awakened, as he never expected to see them any 
more, and with two stalwart negro guards supporting him by 
each arm, all three started to the dock. As soon as they left 
the barracks, the guards commenced questioning him; 
wanted to know his name, and where he was from, and he 
told them ; but it never occurred to him that anything was 
wanted of him but to go down to the dock to satisfy the mor- 
bid spleen, manifested at all times, when in the presence of 
the suffering prisoners, by the burly Stevedore. Instead of 
carrying him to the dock, where the ships were moored and 
loading, the guards carried him to an old dilapidated dock 
some hundred or more yards distant that was not in use. 
They started out on the tramway. The suspicions of the 
Private were now thoroughly aroused, and though emaciated 
and feeble, he knew that for a few minutes the sinews could 
put forth as much, if not more strength than the sound physi- 
cal body, that is sometimes overloaded with a surplus to car- 
ry, and nerving himself for the final act ; when they arrived 
at where they would attempt to part with him, he had made 
up his mind to grab one of them, and leap off of the dock in- 
to the briny-deep, and if he could not drown him, drown with 
him, thereby destroying one more foe to loved cause and 
country. But (he says) Deity ruled. Some half way out 
on the tramway, and before they reached the dreaded dock, 
suddenly the almost impenetrable darkness became as light as 
the noon-day sun ; casting his eyes to either side at his 
affrighted supporters, whose guns were carried in their outer 

65 



hands, capped, half bent and bayoneted; looking up at them, 
around and then back at the mainland and discovered a 
large house on fire, whose top had just fallen in and the 
flames had suddenly shot into the air more than fifty feet in 
height, and in close proximity to the U. S. Coast Arsenal. 
Letting go the prisoner in consternation and dread, they rush- 
ed back to the mainland, exclaiming : Fire ! Fire ! Fire ! Fire ! 
a great many times and as loud as they could yell- it; that soon 
aroused the populace, fire department, etc., who soon arrived 
on the ground and extinguished it after some little trouble. 
At first the Private being left entirely alone in a heap on the 
floor of the tramway, bethought himself of adopting some 
mode of escape, but feeling the utter futility, he gave it up as 
useless and discovering a dilapidated "guard-stand" just to 
his right, he crawled into it to keep off as much as possible 
the cold drizzling rain that was now rapidly numbing his 
emaciated system. Praying fervently to his Creator in 
humility and gratitude for His watchful care over him in the 
past ; and then from the depths of his innermost heart to 
forgive his persecutors and enemies and change their hearts 
toward him, and then in fervent hope, asking for such bles- 
sings as his beloved cause, country, loved ones and fellow 
creatures needed ; fearing to ask for anything for self for fear 
it might prove a consuming fire ; asking that His will be 
done, he fell to sleep to be awakened by the Grand Rounds 
soon after daylight, one of whom exclaimed : "Why hello, 
here's that fellow A. B. that escaped from the prison last 
night and set the town on fire !" "Hush," said the lieuten- 
ant in charge, "get him out of here." When two of them 
supporting, him, without any resistance, led him out; when 
the lieutenant, seeing how feeble he was, spoke kindly to him, 
and asked him how he came there. He told the lieutenant 
the circumstances you have just read and the lieutenant 
seemed to believe him, but from the conversation among the 
guards as they went along scouted the idea, and looked upon 
him as the recreant, who actually had escaped and set the 
town on fire. The lieutenant carried him to the Mayor who 
in turn interrogated him, and he told the same story, when 
the lieutenant told the Mayor the prisoner had told him the 
same story. The Mayor asked him if he could prove where 
he was when the fire was discovered, and he told the Mayor 
that if the two guards would tell the truth, that he could 
prove it by them. The Mayor asked him if he could identify 
the guards if he would have the negro guards brought up 
there. He told him he thought he could. The Mayor then 
ordered them to be brought up there, and had them filed 
through the room, the prisoner told him (as the third or 

66 



fourth one filed in) that is one and he told the negro soldier 
to remain in the room. A great many more now passed 
through and the other one now came in, and he told the 
Mayor that was the other, when the Mayor told some depu- 
ties to take the witnesses out, and not let them converse 
with each other. Shortly having one brought in, he having 
him sworn, asked if he knew the prisoner and he told him 
yes. He then asked him if he knew where he was last night 
when the fire took place and before it took place. The negro 
then told him that he helped bring him down to the dock 
from the barracks, and that he was with him when the fire 
took place, and that he left him on the tramway to the old 
dock, and that after the fire there was so much excitement 
that he never went back to see what had become of him, and 
he was so afraid that the magazine might accideritly explode 
and blow up the whole dock and that part of town that he 
had actually forgotten him ; and that the next thing he heard 
about him was that he had escaped from prison and it was 
supposed that he had set the town on fire; but that when 
that fire came down by the magazine, he knew he had not 
set that place on fire ; and if he had fired any other portion of 
the town, he had done so after he had been turned loose. 
That the old Stevedore said that he was a mighty bad man, 
but that what little he had seen of the prisoner and his con- 
versation with him, he was a better man than most of the 
Southern men; that he knew all about negroes, but that they 
were mistaken about him; that he was a working Southern 
man, and worked regularly along with the negroes and tried 
to teach them, and was kind to them and a good christian 
man ; that he had watched and that he had never heard him 
utter an oath or a bad word of any kind ; that he had heard 
him complain of his treatment, but had never heard him 
speak disrespectfully of his captors or abuse them, or the 
government. "Then you don't think they have got the 
right man ; or that he would willfully mistreat the Southern 
slaves : in fact that you take him to be a gentleman and that 
he wouldn't stoop to do any harm to anyone or anyone's prop- 
erty?" "I knows the Southern people, and if he's a bad one, 
the\- are all bad." "Stand aside." The other witness was 
brought in, and when interrogated, he grinned and looked 
all around the room, and said: "Gemmen, dat prisoner's all 
right, he never set no town on fire. He's almost dead and if 
you don't do something for him he will soon be whar he 
wont trouble you any more. Dats a good man and a brave 
man, but he never done all dat meanness dey tell on him, no 
sar. you got the wrong man. Me nigger, but me risk him. 
Me risk dat man wid my wife or my dotter. What for you 

67. 



cuss him, anyway ; I hear heap talk against him, but me watch 
him, and all de gards been watching him and de colored sojers 
would rather risk him dan any of dem prisners." 

The Private thought that they would ask them what 
they were going to do with him, when they knew that he was 
so feeble and weak ; but they dismissed the case ; and he was 
sent back to the barracks. Being now thoroughly aroused to 
the fact that he was now more closely watched and guarded 
than any of the prisoners, and discovering the dislike or 
animosity manifested toward him, especially by the Steve- 
dore, and having made the acquaintance of a merchant who 
lived there by the name of G. W. A., with whom he had 
several conversations, and who seemed kindly disposed ; he 
asked him if he would get him released from constraint ; 
(which he kindly did). He told the merchant after wander- 
ing around the Island for several days, seeking employment 
and not being able to find any, to please give him work; that 
he had not had anything to eat in four days ; and that he 
wanted to work for him ; that he wanted to mix and commin- 
gle with the Federals and learn who they were politically, 
socially and morally, and if they were a better people than 
the Southern people were, he wanted to know it ; that he was 
young and that most of his life was before him, and the soon- 
er he got on the right track in life, the better it would be for 
him; that he wanted his life to be useful, and not misspent; 
that he wanted to live for a purpose, and a good one ; to 
please employ him, that he would, he hoped, never regret it. 
The merchant told him he feared to employ a rebel, that it 
might injure his business; that the war was now over, and 
the troops were being disbanded, and that his business was a 
very precarious one, and that he could employ all the help he 
wanted from among the Federal or Union element. The 
Private, whom we will now call "Novice," for convenience, 
told him that the rebel had to live as well as all others. He 
asked him what he could do; the Novice told him if he would 
show him what he wanted done, he would do it the best he 
could, and all he asked was to give him something to eat ; and 
that as soon as he could he was going to return to his home 
and help his father, mother, sisters and brothers, and that 
they could help him, that from childhood he had been taught 
to work. Mr. A. told him that he had always heard that 
the Southern people could not, and would not work, that they 
made their slaves work. He told Mr. A. to try him and see 
whether he could work or not. Mr. A. said come, follow me, 
and carried him through his store and into the rear and said: 
"I want you to clean up this yard, and when you finish it, go 
to Mima, my cook, and tell her to give you something to 

68. 



eat." The Novice looked at the heterogeneous mass of boxes 
pieces of Moxes, barrets, hogsheads, pipes, crates, jugs, jars, 
demijohns, cans, etc., and in such vast quantities ; that he 
feared he would give out before he could arrange and put 
them in order. He at once set about it, and placing all of a 
kind together and working rapidly from about 8 o'clock a. 
m. to 4 o'clock p. m. and finished up his work and was resting 
when Mr. A. came in who had also been gone all day. He 
walked all around and turning with his face beaming with 
apporval, remarked : "You have done your work in a mas- 
ter's style and better arranged than if I had have ordered it. 
Have you had anything to eat?" "No sir." "Didn't you 
have lunch at noon," "No sir." "Go in and get something. 
Here Mima, have you got something you can give this young 
man to eat?" "Yes. sir. He looks like one of our people, 
Mr. A., he don't look like your people. Fse speck I knows 
what he wants good as he does," and commenced setting 
different kinds of cold victuals upon the table. Pausing in 
silence for a moment to ask a blessing; as he and the old 
Aunty was left alone, she told him that she was the family 
cook at home, but that their home had been broken up and 
that the Yankees had brought her there, and that she didn't 
know where they took old master; that Mr. A. had been 
mighty good to her, and she spekt if he would hire him, he 
would be good to him. After he had guardedly eaten about 
half what he was accustomed to, he asked Mr. A. if he had 
anything else to do. Mr. A. asked him if he would take his 
two fine milch cows out on the sward every morning, and 
bring them back every evening, and watch the yard and 
keep it in order just as he had arranged it, so that whenever 
they wanted anything they could put their hands on it at a 
moments warning, and to go on errands when needed, and he 
attended to it for about two weeks ; when, one Sunday morn- 
ing Mr. A. received a very fine pair of bay mares, they were 
high strung, well developed, four year old, fiery animals. 

His drayman was a negro by the name of J G ; he 

and some others worked and worried with them for a while, 
but they would balk and then run away, and when they at- 
tempted to ride they would run away and throw them too; 

J G was also his milk man and a good one. J. G. 

now became dissatisfied and was going to leave. Mr. A. 
wanted his fine mares broke to work and to ride, and asked 
the Novice if he thought he could fill J. G.'s place; he told 
him that he had never milked any, that the women did the 
milking where he was raised ; but that he would do the best 
he knew how ; but that he believed he could break the mares 
to harness and saddle, too. So that evening when the cows 

69. 



were milked, Mr. A. went out to see the Novice milk; the 
cows were perfectly gentle, but the Novice made a complete 
failure ; the merchant laughed and told the Novice to look 
him up a milk man and that he would see what he could do 
with the mares. The next morning was Sunday, a bright 
beautiful morning. After driving the cattle to the sward, he 
told the merchant to let him select a saddle, girths, blanket 
and bridle. He told him all right ; so selecting them and 
getting out the mares, the merchant and all his clerks came 
out to see the novice, or rebel as he was now called by all, 
prepare to mount and ride one of the wild mares. Handling 
one of them very gently, he succeeded in bridling and sad- 
dling one, when he asked one of the clerks to please open 
the folding gates and let him out ; turning the mare's head 
toward the gate, placing his left foot in the stirrup, after rein- 
ing it up by the left hand which rested on and firmly grasped 
the mare near the shoulder, placing his right hand on the 
cantel of the saddle, threw his right foot over and clear of her 
rump, and transferring his right hand to the pommel, he suc- 
cessfully seated himself firmly in the saddle ; all of which was 
done in a flash, as was customary by one drilled by Wheeler's 
cavalry tactics. The mare bounded through the gate, and out 
into the street, and gently turning her head to the beach, she 
flew along it with so much ease, and so rapidly, that for the 
first time all simultaneously exclaimed, oh, he was a South- 
ern cavalier and maybe you will never see him anymore. 
He was gone some time, and as he came leisurely riding 
back to the gate for admittance, the merchant, several ladies 
and gentlemen came out to greet and compliment him, but 
among them all, the old merchant distinctly showed he was 
the most highly pleased and wanted to know if she had act- 
ed ugly or had hurt him in any way. Unsaddling carefully, 
yet leisurely, petitng her a little, he replaced her and her mate 
within their stalls, and went back to the store, where he was 
soon surrounded by all parties, who now seemed to take 
notice of him and to ask him many questions about the 
Southern people, their country, climate, habits, etc. He was 
wearing the suit of clothes woven by his sister, and made by 
his home tailor, with the brass Confederate buttons ; he had 
washed, and patched the knees and elbows, and he looked, as 
he was, out of place in that select, polished, wealthy crowd, 
but he flelt as good as anyone could among strangers and 
enemies. Merchants from the coast north and south bought 
wholesale bills from the merchant and he soon had more 
work than his clerks could do. In a short while after he took 
charge of the mares they would follow the Novice like a dog, 
and he could harness them and manage them with perfect 



70. 



ease, and they seemed satisfied when in his presence and by 
putting small loads for them to draw at first, soon got them 
so they drew such big loads up Broadway that the merchants 
would pass comment on him and his team as they would 
pass along; such as, that rebel is no fool, that's the finest 
team in the city, that's the largest dray load ever went up 
Broadway. One day the store was crowded, and some goods 
had to be packed and shipped. When the merchant wanted 
the Novice to pack a crate of crockery, two clerks were then 
packing each a crate, asking the proprietor to show him how 
to pack the first layer, he went ahead and packed it as carefully 
as he could ; all were shipped and in a few days notice was 
returned that one crate was badly damaged and the other 
two were all right. As they were numbered it was soon dis- 
covered that his crate went through all right. Again, on 
Saturdays there was always a big rush, and his merchant 
seeing he was up with his work, called to him to come and 
help them in the store, and placing him at the hand scales 
at the retail counter to sell coffees, teas, sugars, flour, meal, 
etc. An old fleshy black grandmama came and spying him, 
called out: "Here's a buckrah, I'se going to trade with him, 
he's one of our folks, he won't cheat me, come here all you 
niggers." The merchant was watching the clerk, and said: 
"Look out there aunty, that rebel will eat you." "Shucks, 
he's one of my people and he won't cheat me like you Yan- 
kees." He was so crowded waiting on them that he had to 
be relieved to let him eat lunch, and from that day, the mer- 
chant wouldn't let him out of the store during sale hours ; but 
told him to hire a man in his place and that he must over- 
look the yard and team for him, as he knew best how they 
should be kept. One day while the store was visited by 
some nice coast merchants and also some few from the inte- 
rior, the bookkeeper, who was a foreigner and who had made 
himself very friendly with the novice, was allowing a mer- 
chant who was settling his bills, so much for premium on 
gold. The novice was near and straightening up some goods, 
and heard the merchant tell the bookkeeper that there was so 
much gold, which the bookkeeper counted and found correct. 
He then counted and added the premium and told the mer- 
chant the amount ; while that was going on, the Novice men- 
tally ran it up and discovered that he and the bookkeeper 
differed, shook his head at the bookkeeper, the B. K. examin- 
ed his work again and remarked that's all right ; the Novice 
still shook his head. The B. K. settled with the merchant 
and he left. The merchant had noticed the whole proceeding 
and walking in front of the Novice said : "Sir, I don't allow 
my clerks to interfere with each other during business hours, 



7*- 



while waiting on customers; what did you mean anyhow?" 
Not wishing to expose the mistake of his newly made friend 
he tried to pass it evasively, and told the merchant he would 
try and not be guilty of such a breach of etiquette again. 
"But you persisted in it, why did you do it," The B. K.. 
seeing the dilemma his friend got into, came to his defense 
in these words: "Mr. G. W. A., he only thought I had made 
a mistake in my adding the premium to the gold the merchant 
paid and I reexamined my calculations before I settled. I 
am sure Mr. G. W. A. he didn't mean any harm." The 
merchant said: "Did you make it different from the B. K.? 
I noticed you were rearranging these goods. I didn't see you 
calculating it practically. Now why did you interfere?" 
"Mr. G. W. A. I thought that the B. K. made a mistake, I 
guess I made it." "Yes, but I want to know what you 
made the premium. If you make incorrect calculations, you 
may make mistakes in future and injure my business; and 
maybe the B. K., when not too busy, or I, will assist you to 
count premiums correctly. Now how did you count it and 
what did you make it?" The Novice then told him he had 
calculated it mentally several times and what he had made 
it each time. The merchant asked the B. K. what he had 
made it, when the B. K. stepped to his desk and handed the 
merchant the sheet of paper. Looking at the amount and 
seeing it differed from the Novice's, he went through the 
entire calculation, and seeing it calculated twice and the 
amount the same, he seemed satisfied ; but seeing the differ- 
ence made by the Novice was in his favor and amounted to 
$137.00, he said: "Here, take the other side of this sheet and 
work it your way." The Novice then worked it, and it was 
the same he had made it mentally, and handed it to the 
merchant. He examined it and said it was correct. He 
then turned to the other side of the sheet and called to the 
B. K. who was, now busy, and showed him the mistake: 
"My God ! the Rebel was trying to protect my interests and 
I was so wrought up by his act, I was ready to dismiss him. 
Rebel you are right, we were wrong. Mercy, that is a right 
sharp loss." The Novice arose every morning between 4 
and 5 o'clock and swept out the entire store alone so as to 
have it clean and ready to open at sun up, which was the 
usual time Mr. G. W. A. had his store opened, and closed at 
sun down. The Novice would also overlook the yard and 
stock, to see that they were all right, and just before re- 
tiring would examine everything to see all was right at bed- 
time. Early one morning after the store was open, Mr. G. 
W. A. called the Novice into a private room and asked the 
Novice to have a seat by him on the sofa. He wanted to 



72. 



have a talk with him. You have been in my employ some 
time and all your comrades have been released from restraint, 
or most of them, and you have never asked for any pay ; have 
never complained at anything I have asked you to do, 
whether arduous or easy. I have watched you and you have 
been the first to arrive every morning and the last to retire, 
and if you thought anything was going on wrong about any 
of my business, you have reported it to me, or if you could rec- 
tify it without annoying any of the household, or me, you 
have done so; otherwise you have reported it to me, the B. 
K. or the household. I have had men when you were sent 
on errands to watch your movements, have sent men to you 
to try and prevail on you to save out a little money for use, 
and all have been to no avail. Young man, you are a rebel 
and you don't deny it, and I notice you keep good company 
Or none, and that all your spare moments you are studying, 
reading and trying to gain knowledge or information, you 
never mix with the licentious or lewd. You do not use pro- 
fane language ; you do not use intoxicants ; you do not smoke, 
chew or snuff tobacco. You have had no money to spend 
nor have you asked me for any. You have worn the thread- 
bare patched suit of Confederate gray, also the same hat and 
boots and have not complained. In fact you seem to be proud 
rather that you are an ex-rebel, though all your armies have 
disbanded and Mr. Davis and your generals are in prison. I 
have perhaps wronged you, but as you were a rebel I never 
denied it. I had to put you through the crucible, to test you, 
to see what you were composed of and I have found you al- 
most perfect and always at your post and willing. Those 
who raised you, must have been a very moral, humane and 
refined family. Now I want you to select either out of my 
store or one of the stores in town an entire suit of clothing, 
underwear and a change of them, hat, shoes, collars, cravats, 
and handkerchiefs; go to the tailor and have them made to 
fit and when they are made come to me and I will foot the 
bill ; and you can go to the barbers, have your hair trimmed 
and your face shaved, take an ablution, dress, shampoo and 
when you return; (let the articles be of good quality, to- 
gether worth not less than forty dollars) report to me and I 
will introduce you to my family. Now I will date back your 
pay from the time you commenced work for me at $25 per 
month and your board. With tears in his eyes the Novice 
thanked him, and told him he would continue to look after 
his interests as he had done in the past, and asked Mr. G. W. 
A. to please assist him in selecting the cloth to make the 
suit out of and his other things, and he told him to select 
so as to suit himself. So as the Novice was left to suit 



73- 



his own taste, he noticed that the nicest merchants dressed 
in a very fine article of very dark marine blue ; and thinking 
that would please the proprietor best, he purchased the ar- 
ticles used by the better class, and carried them to the tailor ; 
who told him he was so crowded it would be a week before 
he could get them. As he was returning from the dock one 
day, where he had been sent to pay freight and wharfage, he 
passed a lady leading a little boy and girl, each by a hand, 
and an old negress accompanying them ; seeing his Confed- 
erate suit, she spoke to him in a very refined and nice style, 
and asked him to please accompany her and her children, as 
all were going the same way, and asked him if he was not a 
Confederate, and he told her yes. She told him he looked 
like one, and she wanted to make some inquiries of him. She 
asked him if he knew one of the prisoners there by the name 
of Dr. G. He told her yes, and that he was still confined 
there, that when all the other prisoners were released on the 
first of June; he refused to take the oath and that he was 
still confined there ; that he had gone to see him last Sunday, 
and that he was well. She asked him if he would go with 
her to the prison. He told her that he was working for a Mr. 
G. W. A., a very clever gentleman, and they would soon be 
there, and that he would take pleasure in introducing her to 
him, and that he thought he would let him go with her to the 
general commanding, and get a permit to go and see him. 
Mr. G. W. A. told him certainly he could go with her. When 
arriving at headquarters, he introduced her to the general and 
asked him if Mrs. G. could have an interview with her hus- 
band ; and he said : "Certainly, Mrs. G., have a seat, and I 
will send up and have the doctor brought down here, and 
writing authority and sending it by the Novice to the guard 
to bring him down to the office. The doctor asked the Nov- 
ice how she came to the Island, and he told him he did not 
know, but that he met her, her children and an old negress 
on the streets and got permission from Mr. G. W. A. to ac- 
company them to headquarters, and that the general had 
them to remain there and sent for him. When the doctor 
entered the office there was the general, several other officers 
and men in the room. As Mrs. G. approached her husband 
near the center of the room leading her boy and girl, one by 
each hand, the doctor exclaimed : "Why, great God, where 
is my baby?" The now heart-broken wife, whose face a 
moment before was so radiant with joy at the sight of her 
husband, as she fell into her husband's arms, her beautiful 
eyes now all suffused with tears, audibly said : "Oh, Doctor, 
our house was burned and everything we had was destroyed, 
and all the servants but this old aunty who clung to me and 



74- 



the children, were taken off and all the stock; no place left 
to shelter us and nothing left to eat; and having heard some- 
time ago that you were confined here; we tried to make our 
way here through the swamps on foot and our sweet, dear 
little baby sickened and died on the way we were so long 
coming; and aunty and I dug a little grave with sticks and 
our hands and buried it." Every face in that office was for 
a few moments bathed in tears of the deepest, death-like, 
pitying sorrow. When the general, weeping, kindly said : 
"Doctor, nothing would afford me greater pleasure than to 
restore you to your freedom and family, the war is all over, 
and nothing now to keep you from taking the oath and go 
free once more with your loved ones." The doctor said : 
"You have tried to humiliate me by working me under negro 
guards, and kill me by feeding me on pickles and musty 
meal, and I have fattened on your dam grub, and now your 
armies have burned my home and took off all my servants 
and property, and when my wife and children were wander- 
ing in the swamps, accompanied by our faithful old servant, 
my little pure, innocent infant has died and was buried in the 
swamps. No sir, I will not take that oath, but I tell you 
what I will do, I will take my wife and children and go to 
France and leave your damn government." The general 
said : "Turn him loose, he is crazy anyhow." That poor 
novice said as he looked then on that scene, he felt as if he 
hadn't done his duty, or things might have been different. 
That he looked to his Creator for divine guidance, and he was 
fearful he was too lenient; when the Creator had placed it in 
his power to have dealt a hard blow at some of his leading 
adversaries ; and one or two bold efforts on his part might 
have changed every aspect of that bloody conflict; and given 
freedom to his beloved Southland, and the negro problem 
worked out some other and a better way in the great plan of 
his Creator, and to the interest of all parties concerned. He 
says he continually prays even unto this day, for forgiveness, 
for past errors both of omission and commission, for future 
guidance, but above all, that his beloved Creator's will be 
done in all things. To forgive his enemies and persecutors 
and to change their animosities into friendliness and their 
persecutions into tenderness, and may the accumulated in- 
formation of his advanced years, be so wisely dispensed, that 
it may counterbalance his past errors in the moral vineyard 
of his Sovereign Lord and Master. As the Novice accom- 
panied by the faithful, patriotic, sad and sorrowful doctor and 
family were returning to his place of business the doctor 
asked his beautiful wife: (For in the eyes of that 
Novice she seemed a veritable angel on earth. What conju- 

75- 



gal loyalty in her superhuman act to reach her true, devoted 
yet patriotic husband ; and his bones, and his wife's, his in- 
fant's and that devoted, faithful negress should rest beneath 
or in one grand mausoleum to commeroate Southern fidel- 
ity, Southern patriotism and Southern sacrifice ; and if could 
b£ a statute of each with their names in letters of gold in- 
scribed thereon, and to make the scene complete the bones of 
that gallant, generous noble-hearted general, who fearlessly 
said : : "Turn him loose," (throwing the mantel of charity over 
the whole sad scene, too sacred for earth, "he's crazy anyhow") 
should rest under or in another grand mausoleum, and his 
statue with his name inscribed thereon in letters of gold; and 
if his could, as it should, be near the others, they should be 
connected with one grand arch and inscribed thereon in let- 
ters of gold "Patriot," as if two patriots had met, one at 
either end of the arch ; above and between should be set in 
diamonds, "Brotherly Love," for in the halo of that supreme 
moment it was indellibly written there.) "Have you any 
money, or anything we can realize any money out of just 
now?" And she placing her pretty hands in her plump bo- 
som, drew therefrom her bridal gift, the most beautiful watch 
he had ever beheld, and placed it in her sad husband's hand. 
Turning it over and looking at the sacred relic he said: "We 
do not wish to part with it ; but we can pawn it and redeem 
it." And turning to the Novice, said : "Can't you pawn it 
for us?" He told them he would do the best he could, and 
told them where they could find a place to stay among some 
Southern friends, but not so refined and cultivated as they 
were and it wouldn't be so costly. Handing him the costly 
relic, and thanking him kindly for what he had done, they 
parted ; he for the store, and they for the cheap boarding 
house. Arriving at the store, he related what had taken place 
and exhibited the watch to the proprietor, and he taking his 
glasses examined it very minutely, told him to go to the 
different pawn shops and find the greatest amount it could 
be pawned for, also the greatest amount any of them valued 
it at, take down the different amounts and bring them to him. 
All of the pawn shops said it was the finest watch they ever 
examined ; that they were at a loss to know its value, but 
they could not advance more than a tenth of its intrinsic 
value. Returning to the store and reporting to the proprie- 
tor, he asked what the doctor said it cost and to the best of 
his recollection he told him he said it cost $1,350.00. So 
counting out $135.00, he sent it forthwith to the doctor by 
the Novice, with instructions that he had advanced the 
money, and would take good care of it until he redeemed it. 
The doctor said he had done as well as he could expect and 

76 



they would leave on the first steamer for France. Bidding 
them good-bye, he never saw them again. As all the mail 
routes in the South were destroyed and the Novice could 
not communicate with his home, he had written to an uncle 
in Kentucky, if he could help him to please send him some 
means and he sent him $20.00 and receiving it in a letter he 
carried it to the proprietor to keep for him, and if he needed 
it at any time, or any of it to use, he could call on him for it, 
so that in case he purchased anything he would know where 
the money came from. It was now time to go to the tailor's 
and get his suit, so asking the proprietor the evening before 
and telling him his suit was ready, he told him to go early 
next morning and get it, go to the barber's have his hair cut, 
shave, take an ablution, dress, shampoo, and at noon come 
with the B. K. (Mr. B.) to dinner. When he had finished 
making his toilet, and was shampooed and hair dressed and 
put on his hat, all new and fit to a t, the barber dusting the 
hat, new suit and shoes off, stepped in front of him to see 
if all fit to suit, exclaimed: "Not a soul in this city will know 
you." Settling with him and walking out onto Broadway, 
not a person recognized him as he passed along, and he walk- 
ed into Mr. G. W. A.'s store ; when the B. K. came to meet 
him and offered his hand and a chair ; asked where he was 
from. He told him Alabama. "Ah ! indeed, you are the 
first gentleman we have had to call on us from so far. Did 
you come up by steamer?" "Certainly as the railroads have 
not yet been repaired." "What part?" "North." "Do you 
wish to purchase any goods while in the city?" "I do not 
know yet, I may go farther." "If you do, this is only a 
branch house, and if you go as far as New York, we will be 
glad to give you an introduction to our main house. Oh, 
by-the-by, we have a young man with us from Alabama. 
Quite a nice young fellow from T. Perhaps you know his 
people they have been in public life for some time. O, Mr. 
H., where is Mr. A. B.?" "I do not know, Mr. G. W. A. sent 
him off somewhere this morning." "He is a thorough going, 
industrious, moral young man ; but a terrible rebel. I reckon 
if we had of been in his shoes we would be just as bad. He 
says all of his people voted union or co-operation, that they 
were not secessionists, but says he is a rebel and takes up for 
his cause all the time and argues it from every stand-point, 
and quotes the Bible on any and all occasions to support 
slavery ; and if you allow him to argue from a moral or polit- 
ical stand-point, and decide according to the Bible, he'll down 
you every time. We all like him because he is so honest, and 
he has a cause for everything, and to hear him tell how the 
Federals acted in his country, we respect more than if he 

77 



run down his cause ; for really, Mercy ! haven't they fought 
hard and long for their cause. It must be hard to give it up. 
I am a Norwegian and haven't been in this country long, and 
I really like that fellow, I wish he was here." The Novice 
now told him who he was, and breaking into a laugh said : 
"Mr. A. told me to bring you to dinner with me that he was 
going to introduce you to his family. You have talked time 
and again to all of them in the store, and they all know the 
old rebel ; but no one will know you now, and Mr. A. has been 
playing some capital jokes on all of us, and I want to get 
even with him. Now let me introduce you to Mr. A. and 
he'll introduce you to the rest ; now keep your features 
straight and change your voice "a little and we'll have some 
fun at his expense. He won't get mad, he likes a good joke 
capitally and he likes to play one, he used me up the other 
day, and I want to get even with him. Going in to dinner 
they were all seated around the table and Mr. A. at the 
head. Mr. B. introduced the Novice as Mr. F. from T, Ala. 
He was then introduced to each one at the table. Mr. A. was 
a very excitable, quick motioned, elderly gentleman, seldom 
looking one in the face and then only a quick searching look 
as he first met anyone. After which he seemed always to 
be occupied. After asking a great many questions about 
Alabama which were answered punctually by the stranger, 
he all of a sudden seemed to think about the rebel, and 
thoughtfully asked: "Where did you say you were from?" 
When he was answered from T. "Why Mr. B., isn't that 
where our young man is from? Do you know any of the B.'s 
there?" "Yes sir, several." "What kind of a family are 
they? Are they wealthy or in public life in any way?" 
"They are plain common people, are in moderate circumstan- 
ces and some have been and are now engaged in public bus- 
inesses, they were union or co-operationists and opposed to 
the war ; but many of the union families are in the army, in 
fact all that are liable for military duty, for their state passed 
the act of secession, the better class go with their state. In 
fact two-thirds of the county where he was from voted union, 
and the companies are principally made up out of union men 
and their sons. They do not dislike the American union, but 
for some time they feel as if they were fighting for their 
property since Mr. Lincoln issued his emancipation proclama- 
tion, and to turn the slaves all loose at once it will envolve a 
great political revolution or upheaval, the results of which 
few can foresee, as many states have more slaves than free- 
men, and the Caucassian will hardly submit to being ruled 
by even a lower class in his ow n race, and never will brook or 
submit to being ruled by an inferior and uncultivated race." 



"Mr. B. didn't I tell you to bring him to dinner with you, where 
is he? Send out and liring him in if he's got back, I like the 
young man anyhow. While his people were union, he's a 
well posted very firm boy or man. If all the men in the rebel 
army were like him the war wouldn't be over now. By jove 
I'd hate to meet that fellow in battle, he is so honest and firm ; 
it takes odds to overcome such men. You tackle him for an 
argument now and he differs with you, he'll surely down you, 
for his convictions are invariably well weighed and correct. 
Where is he? Bring him in." About that time it was an- 
nounced that he could not be found, and he smiled. There 
was a young widow G. from Massachusetts who would go in 
the store almost every day and talk a while with the rebel and 
watched him like a hawk and when he smiled she clapped her 
hands and exclaimed: "Mr. A. that's Mr. A. B.. Oh, don't 
he favor my little girl and she favored her papa so much ; why 
isn't he handsome." Mr. A. said: "Awe, 'pshaw! B that's 
some of your work," and the whole table roared. Compli- 
ment after compliment followed until the poor Novice's 
patience was worried bowing acknowledgements. Mr. A. 
seem to take great pleasure in introducing him to his friends, 
and especially the U. S. officers stationed there, and invaria- 
bly would say : "Allow me to introduce my young rebel 
friend, Mr. A. B. of Alabama." When all seemed anxious 
to hear him talk and asked a thousand and one questions 
about the country, and as the Novice was well informed, they 
invariably, when after business hours or on Sunday sought 
his company. But the Novice was fond of study, and when 
at leisure would spend his time reading and studying; he 
soon formed the acquaintance of a Mr. G. L. D., of Mass., 
who was a vegetarian and an extreme abolitionist; and find- 
ing that the Novice was fond of study, invited him to his 
office, that he had some nice books and that he would let him 
have them to read. The Novice called at his office, and ac- 
companied by Mr. G. W. A., when Mr. G. L. D. going to his 
library took a book and handed it to the Novice. Looking at 
the title, the Novice told him he had read that. What, where 
did you read that? At home. It was Uncle Tom's Cabin. Then 
taking down the White Slave, handed it tohim, when he told 
him he had read it on the picket line in middle Tennessee. 
He said : "What ! why we are told that you Southern people 
make bonfires of such books, how can you read them and 
knowing them to be true; own a slave and look your fellow 
men in the face." "All of the intelligent Southern people 
know those books to be overdrawn; and if there should be 
such a case near them ; they would look after their amelior- 
ation as quick, if not quicker than you will after the poor 

79 



poverty stricken fellow creatures sufferings and wants in 
your section of the U. S. ; penury and want are not known in 
our section, but we feared it would be if the slaves were freed, 
that as it was, their real wants were supplied and that they 
were allowed many liberties and pleasures ; that the working 
classes in other countries could never enjoy." He then hand- 
ed him Baldwin's Practical Thought, and he told him he 
would like to read that. Mr. D. told him to take it along. 
He soon read it and found it to be good moral food. He then 
gave him Pemberton's and May's discussions on Unitarian- 
ism and trinitarianism. After he had read it carefully, Mr. 
D. asked him his opinion of the discussion and he told him 
if we consider the Bible true that Mr. May had the advant- 
age in the discussion, but if not the unitarian had. He gave 
him Hare's works then to read, which was really entertaining 
also A. J. Davis. He studied them closely, so one Sunday 
afternoon he was invited into Mr. A.'s private office and be- 
ing invited to lounge on a sofa and Mr. A. occupying one and 
Mr. G. L. D. occupying another. First one and then the 
other put question after question to him in regard to the 
authenticity of the Bible, all of which the Novice took in good 
part and with works formerly read and being very well post- 
ed he simply answered logically ; after they had expended 
their thunder, he having weighed well all the store of knowl- 
edge he had accumulated he would like to ask some questions. 
They told him certainly. He told them he would like to 
compare the two religions and see which would stand the 
test the best; to live and then to die by or with as a final 
ending of this life. Your religion teaches you that if you 
live a good moral life in this world that when you die, you 
on'ly temporarily die, and in eternity your soul or the im- 
mortal part will live corelatively in a future state, but that 
while here one should go on improving their morals here, so 
that in a future state they would go on improving there. Yes. 
Now it also teaches if you live a low, degraded, viscious life 
here, that in future you wi'll live a low, degraded, viscious 
future life. Now you acknowledge that such a man did live 
as Christ, and that all the morals that he taught and all the 
morals taught by the great, good and grand men of earth, 
who have lived and died, such as the patriarchs of the Bible, 
the rulers, generals and leaders down to Napdleon, the pope, 
bishops, Cromwell, Washington and Mr. Lincoln, who done 
even more than Christ had done, laid down his life to elevate 
a race far his inferior, we should cultivate, and if possible 
improve. Now you claim that all nature teaches, and it is 
generally conceded that there is a future state, and that there 
is a God. But the idea that Christ is the son of God, and 

80 



that there is a heaven and a hell, and that there was future re- - 
ward and punishment, were silly and perfectly absurd. Es- 
pecially absurd that God had ever communicated with man 
directly. Now you acknowledge that the Bible claims that 
it is the word of God ; that it teaches that Christ is the son of 
God ; that it teaches you that here is a heaven and a hell ; 
that if one lives a pure, upright, good life here and believes 
in the plan of salvation as taught by Christ ; he may enjoy 
heaven or a state of eternal happiness and if one does not be- 
lieve and violates all of the plan of salvation and commits 
sins of all kinds as enumerated, that he will be forced into 
suffering the torments of hell, which is a spiritual death ; as 
belief in Christ and salvation through him is a second birth, 
or a spiritual life. Now I want to make the application in my 
own simple way. Now I am a christian and I am going to 
die, as I have lived, a pure, good life, and your religion is cor- 
rect, when I die I will go in futurity cultivating purity and 
goodness ; but if my religion is right, I will be eternally Mess- 
ed. Now in either case I receive the blessings that follow a 
unitarian or trinitarian religion. Now you are a unitarian 
and you are going to die ; if your religion is correct you will 
enjoy the relative blessings in futurity, if you live a pure and 
upright life here ; but suppose you have lived a pure, upright 
life here, yet have denied Christ and his teachings, 
and his religion is correct; what will become of you? For 
a moment there was a death-like silence broken by Mr. G. 
W. A., who said: "Mr. D. I am near seventy-two years old 
and I have lived and done business twenty years in New 
York, twenty years in Rio Janeiro and ten years in Liverpool 
and I have heard the best divines of earth, and this young 
man has logically produced the best argument in favor of 
the christian religion I have ever heard. Ah me ! thirty years 
ago I was a christian and a steward in the Presbyterian 
church, now I am drifting like a bark without a rudder; 
what will become of me?" The subject of religion was only 
continued in mute silence; and the Novice does not recollect 
that the subject of religion was ever broached again. The 
poor Novice while he thus reasoned, and was raised a christ- 
ain and continually prayed for to be led in the right path, 
has always felt a void that never can be filled ; and he tear- 
fully asks the prayers of every one who reads this, and he 
wishes me to state that he tries to sincerely pray for them 
and all mankind. As the Novice had broken the nice span 
of mares to ride and work, Mr. A. asked him to please on 
the Sabbath to accompany him or any of his family when 
they wanted to go riding in their nice carriage, as he was 
afraid to risk the family or himself with anyone else ; and the 

81 



Novice told him nothing would give him greater pleasure 
than to be permitted to enjoy their society, or those that 
visited his family. He also told the Novice that when the 
team were not in use he could have them to drive any of the 
young ladies of his acquaintance, and he thanked him warm- 
ly for the privilege. Especially none other were offered such 
privileges. One day Mr. W. G. W. quite a distinguished 
gentleman from Massachusetts was visiting him and as us- 
ual he introduced the Novice to him as Mr. A. B., my young 
rebel friend of Alabama. The Novice said he found him to 
be such a nice polished and refined gentleman, never using 
any but the most refined, polished language, and always 
speaking in the most courteous manner of all distinguished 
people of every faith, creed or nationality, so much so that 
it was a real treat to be in his company. Mr. A. had three 
hundred thousand fine Havana and Cuban cigars ; so as the 
Novice did not use tobacco in any way he gave him the task 
of assorting and examining them ; not only to see that the 
shipment was all right ; but that in case they had any orders 
to fill, that they would not only be ready but convenient for 
shipment. So one day during the stay of the distinguished 
Dictionarian or linguist, the Novice was very busy, yet still 
as a mouse and Mr. A. and Mr. W. were in his office close by, 
and the door was open, and he distinctly heard Mr. A. tell 
Mr. W. if young A. B. would stay with him until he 
thoroughly understood business, he would set him up with a 
nice stock of at least thirty-five thousand dollars worth at 
some good point ; that if he had a fault he had not discovered 
it ; that he had set several young men up in business and all 
had done well. Mr. W. told him that was very commenda- 
ble in him, and as he had been some with him, and had been 
introduced as your young rebel friend, he had taken particu- 
lar notice of him, and that he had seen many fine, elegant 
ladies and gentlemen from the South, and the mere fact of 
his being a rebel and coming from the South, was a good in- 
dication that he was from among the better classes of his 
section. 

One Sabbath Mr. A. told his rebel friend that several 
distinguished abolitionists were going to dine with _ him, 
and that they were nice gentlement, and he wanted him to 
meet them and to be sure to be there at dinner. Nothing was 
spared to make it a nice affair. After all had met Mr. A. as 
usual introduced Mr. A. B. as his young rebel friend of Ala- 
bama, and that he had come among them to learn who they 
were politically, socially and morally, that if he had been mis- 
informed that' he wanted to know it, and as he was young, 
the sooner he found it out the better it would be for him. 

82 



The distinguished parties he named in order as they sat 
around the table, Hon. Wm. L. G., Hon. Geo. T., of England, 
Miss L. and Miss G., of one of the New England states, Gen. 
L., of New York, Mrs. G., of Massachusetts, Mr. Wm. H. 
H., of Ohio. Mr. G. L. D. and Mr. D., of Mass., Miss F. A. 
and Mr. 1'... of Hilton Head, he supposes, Mr. A. and A. B. 
constituted the gathering and the time of dinner was 6:00 p. m. 
Many were the questions asked of the young Alabamian. 
Finally Hon. Wm. L. G. asked the young Alabamian: "You 
acknowledge that the negro is superior to the white man 
physically?' He ,'told\ him he did not. ''Why most all: 
of our intelligent white men concede that. Well you ac- 
knowledge that the white man is superior to the negro men- 
tally? He did. You acknowledge that it takes a strong phy- 
sical organization to support a large, active, healthy, mental 
capacity? He told him colossal minds were frequently found 
on small and diminutive people, such, for instance : Alexander 
Stephens, of Georgia, and T. O. Summers, of Massachusetts. 
Oh, }cs, there are such cases, but generally speaking. Well, 
now, admitting these things to be so, if you amalgamate the 
races it will produce a superior race. The Alabamian told 
him it was not right to take the Southern negro who had 
been cultivated physically for many generations in the South- 
ern States, and compare him to his master physically, who 
had been cultivated principally, mentally. That the proper 
way to compare the races was to take them in their native 
state, where they were first found, and compare them there. 
The Caucasian in the Caucasus Mountains in Asia, between 
the Black and Caspian seas, where, according to Anthrop- 
ology the Caucasian or White Race is found in its primitive 
or pristine state, where the men are the most active, best 
physically developed, finest featured, handsomest men and 
women in an uncultured state found on earth, and from 
whence the European and all of the white race wherever 
found have sprung. The African or negro race seems to have 
come from the interior of Africa, and in their native element, 
are less physically or mentally developed, are not so graceful 
or handsome; •are by nature gross, savage,anthropophagi, 
lecherous, filthy, kinky-headed, flat-nosed, thick-lipped, 
strong-smelling, even so much so that the Indian or American 
race, which, in their native state, is quite offensive to the 
white race, cannot bear their smell. Now, this is the proper 
place to compare the races, and do not take the best culti- 
vated andjjroomed, out of their native haunts and cultivated 
by the highest type of civilization in the world, the wealthy 
white American, that has gathered refinement through the 
means of his wealth from every part of the globe, and by 

83 



mixing and commingling as servant, and master, the closest 
relation on earth, except the marital, has raised them to a 
higher type of civilization than they have ever risen before. 
A Miss L., a beautiful girl, then said: Why, Mr. A. B., I 
had rather marry a cultivated, well to do negro that would 
take care of me and give me a position in society, than to 
marry an illiterate, worthless white man that had no influ- 
ence and could not take care of me, and would rather drag 
me down in life. Miss L., if sitting by your side there was 
an African princess and inheriting the finest and wealthiest 
principality of Africa, bedecked from head to foot with the 
costliest rubies, diamonds and gems of all kinds of her coun- 
try, and possessed of all of the charms of her own race, her 
broad distended nostrils, her piercing, lustrous black eyes, 
her large, luscious, thick lips, her kinky, cultivated, thick, 
matted, wooly, hair; and possessed of a native aroma, that, 
when the wind was favorable, that he could detect her august 
presence one hundred or more yards and she were sitting 
there in her native loveliness, uncultivated, and even a fallen 
angel, and he had to choose between her or the princess to 
be his companion and helpmeet in life, he would take her. 
Her beautiful face became suffused in recurrent blushes, and 
trying to hide her lovely face in her beautiful lily white hands 
exclaimed : Oh, I don't know ! I don't know ! I don't know ; 
which he answered: But / knowl The table just roared and 
Mr. A. remarked : That is the best thing I ever heard uttered 
by a Rebel gentleman. You can't force social equality or 
miscegenation on those Southern people ; if it ever comes, it 
will have to come gradually. The novice felt that their free- 
dom as it was termed, was only a misnomer. They would 
only become political slaves to the greed and avarice of a 
superior race ; which, when becomes common property, would 
receive little sympathy, as thousands of the inferior and un- 
fortunates of his own race, as no value is involved, no care or 
interest is bestowed. So far as the golden rule was concern- 
ed, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you," 
was never observed among those of their own race, much less 
those of another race, and if done was simply phrasical. If we 
find one unnaturally interested about anything, trace it up, 
and in ninety-nine cases in a hundred, it would be for reward, 
grievance or wrong, and the hundredth might be pure and 
unselfish. In alluding to Mr. Davis, they invariably called 
him the "arch traitor." On hearing it, the Novice had the 
temerity to tell them that Mr. Davis was far from, being an 
"arch traitor," that he was a Union Democrat, but a strict 
pro-slavery man, and that he was selected and run as such, to 
conciliate the pro-slavery Union element, and yet at the same 

84 



time as he was the grandest exponent of African slavery in 
Congress, that he would also draw the secession, or as it was 
sometimes termed the Fire-eating element ; the last the most 
extreme of all southern political elements. That Mr. Wm. 
L. Yancey of Alabama, or Robert Toombs, of Georgia might 
be correctly dubbed "arch traitors," but his opinion was, from 
what he could see of either one of those two men ; and their 
policy had have been carried out the war would not, nor could 
not have lasted two years. For gentlemen, in all candor, they 
were aggressive, and if the Southern people had have made 
them their standard bearers; when the Southern arms were 
victorious at Manassas, there were fresh troops and officers 
ready to march into Washington City, and those two men 
wanted it taken, and your President captured, and as many 
of his i : lk as could be found ; call for reinforcements, march on 
Philadelphia, and the calling again for reinforcements, and 
each time furnishing the reinforcements with the arms, ac- 
coutrements, and provisions, of the vanquished and routed 
armies ; would have captured New York and dictated terms 
of peace. I doubt if the war would have lasted three months. 
Mr. Davis & Co.'s policy whipped the South and saved the 
North from invasion and defeat. The little widow kept 
shaking her head at him to stop, and General L. of New York 
laid down his knife and fork, and directly he was the focus of 
all eyes at the table, and raising his eyes just as he had de- 
livered his views, he caught the widow's, who was stamping. 
her feet and striking the handle of her knife on the table to 
draw his attention. Gentlemen, I mean no harm ; I am stat- 
ing truth, that I was there, and it was the only policy by 
which the South could hope to win; for as the North was 
vaccillating and tardy, thousands would have joined the vic- 
torius army, as history proves they ever have done, in either 
case when it was all over ; the Union would have been pre- 
served, but African slavery would have lasted longer. Why 
do you think so, young man, asked Mr. D. Because, the 
wealthiest man in his section, the last time he was at home, 
and got him another horse, said, Why, let us go back into the 
Union and save our property; and, gentlemen, you may think 
strange of it. but I have watched the war all the way through, 
and I particularly watched every movement made by Mr. 
Lincoln, and his cabinet, and every stroke was at or against 
African slavery, and I then and there told him so; and he 
said. Oh. no! All Mr. Lincoln and the Northern people want 
is to preserve the Union. He told him he was a better Union 
man than Mr. Lincoln was; that the United States Constitu- 
tion was pro-slaery, and that he was ; and that he had found 
out when in Kentucky that beyond a doubt Mr. Lincoln was 

85 



not only an abolutionist, but a radical, which is diametrically 
opposed to "constitution." He says that expression now 
brought out Mr. Wm. L. G., who delivered himself thusly : 
Young man, you are correct, and I am glad you are learning 
so rapidly Mr. Lincoln's true principles. Mr. Lincoln was a 
kind, humane, good man by nature ; he held no religion or 
creed ; was anti-Masonic ; what he done was from the purest 
of motives. Forty-two years ago he, I, and fifteen others met 
in the little town of Chicago, and took the oath never to lay 
down our principles until every negro was freed in the 
United States and placed upon an equality with the white 
race, politically, socially and morally, and we are carrying 
those principles out, and it is a mere matter of time, and 
that a short time, when there will be no difference made be- 
tween the two races. Mr. Lincoln has sealed it, with his blood. 
He has done more for that poor, deluded, down-trodden, mis- 
erable race, than Christ did. He laid down his life to elevate 
a race far his inferior. This now brought out Mr. G. T., of 
England, who delivered himself thusly : I came to this coun- 
try forty-two years ago, and I sowed the seeds of abolition- 
ism ; I come back today an old, hoary-headed man, just tot- 
tering upon the verge of the grave to behold its fruits, and 
extended both arms out over the table. All of this was said 
in a cold, indifferent manner. Seeminly to the Rebel, not 
one word of regret expressed for the untold sufferings of a 
mightj? nation, in the throes of travail during the birth of the 
political mongrel or hybrid offspring, which, if really carried 
out, will sink this mighty Caucasian Republic to a degreda- 
tion worse than befell "Pure Castile, Proud Spain," after it 
was over-run by the Saracens and Moors, a thousand times 
to be preferred to the mongrel offspring offered by the soul- 
less British radical ; caught up and accepted by the damnable 
radical element, sired by the gratifications of the passions of 
a Caucasian by a negress ; which, when severely rebuked, 
turned to a hatred, that has cankered and gangrened until it 
threatens the life of the most colossal Republic of the earth 
at this time. Not one word of regret was expressed by any 
one. But that Rebel, in that supreme moment, vowed that 
the American Republic should be saved from such a fate. He 
looked first at one, then at the other, to see, if perchance, in 
those features he could trace some mongrel ; if there was, it 
was so nearly Caucasian he could not detect it, but in mute 
silence he sat for a moment, and wondered if it was real ; did 
he sit face to face with two Radicals, who gloated over the 
fact that their hellish purposes were accomplished, and who 
cared not if it had cost more than a million of male lives of 
the purest and best blood of this Republic; and untold mil- 

86 



lions of treasures ; all, too, adults, to free about one-half a 
million adult male slaves. How much easier to have pur- 
chased them and colonized them, like the poor aborigines. 
Today, though poor, he says he would not take anything for 
the relief his conscience felt for what it had done, and to be 
enlightened to try and guard his fellows both white and 
black, against the contamination forbidden by nature, and 
will prove the destruction of both races. 

Professor Agassiz, of the Parisian Faculty, in his treaty 
on Anatomy, has discovered 860 distinct differences between 
the white and negro races; and as it has been thoroughly 
tested, that the fourth generation of Mulattoes runs out, and 
will not reproduce a Mulatto, it simply shows that Deity has 
intended that man shall not interfere with His work, and has 
said, thus far thou shalt go and no farther, but as they will 
gradually reproduce, by intermarriage with the full bloods of 
either race, until they are absorbed (while a great many 
mixed bloods will result where the races commingle), still 
there will be two distinct races, and we need not trouble about 
it one way or the other ; and the only danger that can result, 
the infraction of God's law might bring unforeseen and untold 
curses. While undoubtedly it is prudent and right to pray 
that His will be done, as it is done in Heaven, which evidently 
means (that where all is pure and there is no guile), it is 
done right ; therefore, to receive the full measure of His 
blessing, we should (looking unto Him for guidance) make 
an effort to do right. 

It had now been near ten months since the Rebel had 
heard from his home, and the Federal papers had many ac- 
counts of Wilson's raid through Alabama, and he was anx- 
ious to return to those he loved and among those with whom 
he was raised. It seemed from all accounts he could reach a 
point nearer home by public conveyance, by going by the 
way of New York to Kentucky to his uncle's, and proceed 
through Tennessee into North Alabama, and then on to his 
home. He asked Mr. A. as business w-as growing dull and 
the summer was well advanced if he would see the General 
and get him a pass, and he very kindly did so, and told him 
when he arrived home and had met them all ; that if he could 
and would return, a place would always be ready for him. 
He then received a letter of introduction to the S. family of 
New York, and when he told his new-made friends good-bye, 
and especially Mr. A., they both burst into sobs of heart-felt 
grief, and two tried friends, one a Federal and the other a 
Rebel, parted, and they never met any more. He took the 
trip to New York on the largest and staunchest side-wheel 
ocean steamer that since the destruction of the Adriatic, that 

87 



plowed the Atlantic. They traveled for four consecutive days 
out of sight of land, and he was not sick a moment ; the 
weather was beautiful, and the trip delightful. They traveled 
principally on the gulf stream, making according to the log- 
book about 14 nautical miles, about 16 2-3 statute miles per 
hour, so he was told. He saw many sea gulls, and old Mother 
Cary's chickens, and many flying fish, sitting for hours on 
the prow of the great ship (named in honor of Robt. Fulton, 
who built the first steamship that crossed the Atlantic). The 
dimensions of the great ship were : 375 feet long, 40 feet beam 
or across, and 32 feet hold, was a five decker, and the wheels 
were 40 feet in diameter and 10 foot paddles). He would 
watch the porpoises as they would play ahead of the prow 
and sport in many gyrations and contortions, and occasionally 
a shark would appear among them, when they would leap out 
of the water, seemingly, to give themselves an impetus, and 
die out of sight in the clear liquid blue depths. The scintilla- 
tions and coruscations produced by the rebounding sprays of 
the briny liquid as the mighty copper keel plowed through 
and cleaved the ocean's surface, was perfectly entrancing, at 
times engaging for hours the attentions of the old Tars who 
would collect at night around the friendly old Rebel, who, 
though but a poor singer, would ask him to sing them some 
Southern songs, many of which he had learned, to while away 
his moments during leisure, and sometimes when at work, 
and seemingly not disturbing any one. The fourth morning 
as the heavy fog lifted they came in sight of land, and as the 
mighty ship moved into the beautiful harbor, the dismantled 
masts looked like some great Southern plantation cleared, 
and the tall pines deadened and left standing for years more 
than anything he could liken it to. The metropolis, as its 
miarets, towers and cupolas stood out in bold relief in the 
clear, bracing morning air, and in striking contrast with the 
monotonous, limitless ocean, and the only relief that he could 
recollect of any importance, was, when they were rounding 
Cape Hatteras, and the whales were sporting still further out 
to sea, or in an easterly direction. Spray after spray were 
sent up many feet into the air, and above the surface of the 
water, like miniature pictures of geysers, and on inquiring of 
the old Tars, they told the Rebel that it was a school of 
whales and grampuses. It at time was really beautiful, the 
grampuses as they made their leaps and curvatures in the 
air, and the reflection of the sun causing variegated colors. 
One could watch them in their sports for hours and not get 
tired. Several schools of grampuses visited the big ship as 
it plowed along around the cape, and the waters looked so 
much more troubled than anywhere else on the trip, he asked 



if there had been a storm out at sea, and the sailors told him 
that in rounding the cape that the weather was as calm and 
beautiful as they had ever experienced. As soon as the 
mighty ship was lashed to the pier, and the gangway fixed, 
several ex-Confederate and Federal soldiers disembarked first 
and went to the consulate and had their papers inspectd, and 
all were correct, when they visited several parts of the city, 
after leaving their satchels and trunks at the Western Hotel, 
where they made their headquarters during their stay in the 
city. Next day he visited the family that he bore the letter 
of introduction to. Mr. S. introduced him to his two beauti- 
ful and accomplished daughters, Misses F. and G. J. The 
latter telling him that he was her guest and that she would 
take great pleasure in showing him over the city and intro- 
ducing him to some of her intimate friends. So calling about 
10 o'clock A. M. the entire balance of the day was taken up in 
visiting different parts of the city, and then at night the dress 
circle theatre, never going he particularly noticed, to any other. 
At first he thought it gallant and right to pay their fare, but 
in every case, the car or bus and theatre fares, when he of- 
fered to pay them, he was smilingly told they were settled, 
and she would graciously bow. When he ventured to ask 
the reason, and she told him Papa settled all their bills by the 
month, and his fare was included. He told her she would 
soon tire of him at that rate. Oh, wait till she manifested an 
indifference, would be time. He told her his cause was lost, 
and he felt a delicacy in obtruding himself in her presence. 
Oh, your letter of introduction satisfies us, sir, on that point. 
Then you consider an ex-rebel suitable as a companion? 
Most assuredly. From that time on, not an allusion to the 
past was ever made, and their conversation was of the most 
refined and chaste nature, as between a brother and sister, at 
home in their elegantly furnished parlor, where, on returning 
from any of their visits, the sister was always there to receive 
them, when he and the sister would relate all the little inci- 
dents of the visit, that seemingly was as interesting to the 
sister that remained at home, as things that transpired at 
home when related by her, were equally interesting to them. 
They were city girls ; modest, neither bashful nor rash, and 
he wondered how they were thus trained in that great city. 
The parks, museums, theatres, ice cream parlors, and on 
the bay, and everywhere a living mass of humanity, of every 
phase and walk in life. The maimed, the halt, the lame and 
the blind. The millionaire and the proletaire. The Patrician 
and the plebian — all of which, frequently could be taken in 
at a glance, and the thought. Oh, how different in that beau- 
tiful Southern valley in which he was reared, and his soul 

89 



panted after the beautiful rustic scenes of his boyhood's sun- 
ny hours, where all was so peaceful, quiet and happy; no 
squallor, no want, no malice, all peace, quiet and plenty. 

There was no contentment, not even in that great Me- 
tropolis for that restless Rebel ; he must be busy to be satis- 
fied, if it was counting peas one by one and hearing them 
drop on a piece of taught rawhide. The monotony was soon 
as great as that on the ocean. He soon learned to love the 
society of those two sweet sisters as a brother. 

A brother's ; love, who can tell. Unfettered by the love- 
bound spell, of some sylvan nymph, and as a brother to tear 
it, it was cruel, but cruel fate impelled him forward. Both 
were gifted, natural and cultured musicians, instrumentally 
and vocally, and as he was fond of music, he asked them to 
please go to the piano, or use the guitar, as his sisters were 
wont to ; when they were in a musical mood, and all of them 
would enjoy the music better. In after years he frequently 
saw accounts of a Miss E. J. S. among the star performers of 
New York, and though the youngest was equally gifted, he 
never saw her name there, and he often wondered whether 
she married, or had preceded her sweet sister to the beautiful 
dreamland of the blessed. Bidding his new-made sister a 
fond good-bye, and the kind parent, as well as some Confed- 
erate companions, he went up the beautiful Hudson to Al- 
bany and took in its beautiful scenery, and there taking the 
New York Central to Buffalo ; he passed over some beautiful, 
fertile country, and meeting with many nice young men on 
the train who begged him to stop over with them, and to re- 
main a month with them, and that they would make it a point 
to introduce him to their families and friends, and that they 
were satisfied they could make his stay pleasant and perhaps 
profitable, and if they had fought valiantly for what they 
thought was right, they did not think the less of them for it; 
and really they were so kind, that it covered up much of the 
mistreatment he had actually experienced. As they were 
passing through the open prairie country between Rochester 
and Buffalo it snowed, and it was the first time he ever saw it 
snow in the summer, but since that time he has seen it snow 
and frost every month during the year. He then took the 
Erie road to Cleveland, Ohio. As they skirted the shores of 
the beautiful lake, many Ohio boys gathered around him and 
invited him home with them. On the train was a young lady 
traveling with her father and mother. As the Rebel's eyes 
met her's, the glance seemed reciprocal, which was noticed 
by those around, when in a pleasant manner, one of the young 
men, who knew the young lady, told him he would see the 
young lady and her parents, and if it was agreeable, which 

90 



he thought it would be, from what had transpired after he 
had entered the car, he would introduce him. He told them 
that as he was an unfortunate Rebel, that he felt that she 
would rather spurn than accept his company. All spoke in 
the highest praise of the Confederate soldiery, and seemingly 
manifested the purest of friendship, for which he kindly 
thanked them and told them to visit him in Alabama. He 
says, to him, she seemed the most beautiful being he ever 
beheld, but without a home, a country, and a cause, he had no 
courage to seek an introduction. 

At Cleveland he found a nice city, and the finest passen- 
ger depot, at that time in the United States, or said to be. 
He then passed through Oberlin, Dayton, Columbus and Cin- 
cinnati. The entire country seemed prosperous, densely pop- 
ulated and well cultivated, and no sign of war going on any- 
where. He then crossed the Ohio to Covington, and took the 
cars for Lexington, where for the first time since he was 
imprisoned. He felt like he was among homefolks, and many 
though strangers, welcomed him back to Dixie. For were not 
Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland and Delaware the only true 
Union States in the Union, though there were some aboli- 
tionists, and a few secessionists in all four of them. The anti- 
slave states had lived at all times, violating the proslavery 
clause of the Constitution. Again, if one accepted the Chris- 
tian religion, it taught slavery, and the true relation that 
should at all times govern their duties to each other, the mas- 
ter to the slave, and the slave to the master. After leaving 
the railroad and taking the stage to Richmond, where he had 
an own cousin living. The stage was full of young ladies and 
the top was covered with Federal soldiers ; the Rebel was the 
only passenger, except them on top. There were several 
officers among them, and the noise of the stage and the team 
of six or more horses as they moved rapidly over the beauti- 
ful glazed pike, made quite a noise, so on top to distinctly 
hear each other, they would have to speak loudly. When the 
young ladies soon discovered that there was an ex-Confeder- 
ate on top, returning to his home away down in Alabama 
from prison. Soon the stage stopped, when one of the young 
ladies, opening the door, thrust her head out and clinging on 
to the top rail, called for the young man from Alabama to 
come inside of the stage, and to get down and come inside 
while the stage was stopped. Getting down and looking in 
on that pile of crinoline with twelve beautiful faces peering 
at regular intervals from the four seats, there was no percep- 
tible sign of a seat ; but all beckoned to enter quick and shut 
the door, that they would take care of him ; and on one of the 
two central seats, the girls standing told him to sit down 



91 



first, when the young ladies spreading their crinoline over 
his lap completely enveloped him, all telling -him he had no 
business on top of the stage among the Northern troops, 
that for the least pretext that many ex-Rebel prisoners re- 
turning to their homes had been shot. While he was glad to 
enjoy the company and society of those beautiful, sweet, re- 
fined young ladies, all American princesses to him, they told 
him that several of the girls were daughters of Union men. 
They were all going to Richmond, and they wanted to know 
his relatives there. He first gave them the name of one of 
his own cousins, a Mrs. B. H. All knew her well, but the 
Rebel girls advised him to go home with them, and not go 
there ; and that her husband was a 'lawyer and a strong Union 
man, but that the family stood well. The Union girls invited 
him to go home with them and stop with them, and they 
would be glad of the pleasure to carry him to his cousin's and 
introduce him. They asked him if he had any other relatives, 
and he told them yes, the G's. When he called the name at 
least eight of the young ladies told him that they daimed him 
for their guest, and that they wanted the pleasure of introduc- 
ing him to his Rebel cousins. He modestly thanked the young 
ladies for the interest they so freely extended and manifested 
for him, and told them that he dare not in that bevy of beau- 
tiful girls accept the offer of either, but of all, and that as his 
Union cousin and her husband boarded at the Hotel, where 
the stage first stopped, that he would stop there ; that she was 
his own cousin, had nursed, played and fought over him when 
a babe, and he would risk her. So, when the stage stopped, 
and they alighted, "they introduced him to her, and she said: 
Oh, is this my little cousin A., a grown young man ; threw 
her arms around his neck and kissed him so affectionately, 
and then thanked them kindly for coming and introducing 
him ; when she turned to several distinguished gentlemen and 
introduced them, and carried him to her private reception 
room, which was on the second floor, and over the main en- 
trance to the hotel. After inviting all the young ladies to call 
on her, and especially while her cousin was there. All to 
whom he was introduced were very friendly, and all offered 
him the hospitality of their home. His cousin told him he 
could say privately what he pleased to her politically, and 
that she would not be offended, but that she was his cousin, 
and for her sake not to talk any politics while there ; that two 
Confederates returning from prison, were shot and killed 
there just two weeks ago, and while all the better class of cit- 
izens deplored their death, still it would not bring them back, 
and he promised he would try and not have anything to do 
with politics. After the war was all over, as the Crittenden 



92 



resolutions were passed during the war for the benefit of and 
to conciliate the four border states, Missouri, Kentucky, 
Maryland and Delaware, granting gradual emancipation and 
$350 per head for all emancipated, each state had large forces 
from the provisional armies quartered at all leading towns 
and county seats, and instructed to issue papers called Free 
papers, and to muster all young, stout able-bodied men into 
the army and send them down on the Rio Grande to serve 
until discharged. Many good old faithful servants had saved 
up $50 or $100 and when they would issue them their free 
papers, they would say to them, Now we have fought mighty 
hard and freed you, can't you give us a hundred or so dol- 
lars. Now the Rebel says he captured and helped capture 
ones, tens, hundreds and thousands, every year of the war, 
and he never heard a prisoner when asked the question, what 
they were fighting for, but answered, the Union. When asked if 
they were not really fighting for the emancipation of the 
slaves, invariably declared they would lay down their arms if 
they thought they were fighting to free the slaves. He had 
quite a wealthy cousin by the name of H. D. who was a 
Southern sympathizer that was worth a half million dollars, 
who furnished him a fine horse to ride, and when riding up 
and down the pikes, as he resembled a Northern man as much, 
if not more than a Southern man, and he would meet the ne- 
groes coming from the Federal camp, he would ask them how 
much they charged them for their free papers, and to let him 
examine them to see whether they were made out right, and 
they would invariably tell him what the emancipationist 
charged them for their papers, some saying that they gave 
them all they had, and some said they gave them ten, some 
twenty, some fifty, and one or two said they gave them as 
much as a hundred dollars. Just about this time Judge L., a 
distant, distinguished Union relative, was sitting on his veran- 
da one day, and a platoon of negro cavaliers, commanded by a 
negro officer, rode up to his gate, and called to the negroes to 
come out there and told several of the able-bodied young 
men to go and get their clothes and go with them to camp, 
and that they were gathering up all the recruits they could, 
and that they were going to be sent right away to the Rio 
Grande, and to tell them all good bye. The negroes of the 
place didn't want to go, and were parleying about it. The 
Judge walked out to the gate and asked them if they had au- 
thority to draft them, that they were now free, and that it 
was optional with them whether they went or not. The offi- 
cer ordered them to get their things and go with him to camp 
(it wasn't but a short distance to camp), so the Judge said, 
boys, I will get my hat and go with you and see about this 

93 



thing myself. He was walking back to the house, and the 
negro officer shot him in the back, and killed him. The crime 
was so dastardly and flagrant, it fired the best union element 
to such a pitch that they were ready to take up arms and re- 
sent it. When the news reached Richmond and the most dis- 
tinguished citizens of both political factions were deploring 
the act, and some fifty in number were sitting in front of the 
hotel (age was greatly respected in those days) and the old 
men were commenting on the situation, and those that were 
younger were listening. The Rebel was sitting among them 
and his cousin was sewing at the window just above his head. 
Judge W., an Octogenarian, said : Young man, we all know 
your father, and his political sentiments, and we have great 
respect for him and his son ; but we are in so much trouble 
here now that we do not know how to act or hardly what to 
think. The Union element has kept this state from with- 
drawing from the Union, and laws, were enacted in Congress 
known as the Crittenden resolutions, allowing gradual emanci- 
pation for the space of. 7 years, and $350 per capita for the 
slaves, and just as the seceded states are being coerced or sur- 
rendering, they have taken the army and quartered great 
bodies of troops within our domain and ordering that the 
slaves be made free at once, and have ignored all law gov- 
erning their freedom ; and just the other day a negro officer 
shot Judge L. in a darstardly manner, and in cold blood. Young 
man, what was the principle involved in secession among the 
secessionists in the seceded states? 

Though really a political novice, he believed from what 
he had discovered by soldiering through five of the Southern 
States, and what he had gathered in the valley in which he 
was raised, where there was considerable wealth, and so far 
as he was capable of judging, as high a state of civilization 
as he had ever met, that the Southern or pro-slavery States, 
felt that the abolition element was growing so bold in the 
States where no slavery existed that it not only made insecure 
slave property, but it also threatened the lives of the pro- 
slavery citizens. That the fugitive slave law was in a manner 
null and void ; that while slavery was increasing, the same 
element did not want it extended into any of the unoccupied 
territory ; that emissaries had been detected in many parts of 
the pro-slavery states trying to incite slaves to murder their 
masters and innocent old male slaves, and that too, when the 
Constitution of the United States recognized it as property, 
and the religion taught, which was the Christian, also recog- 
nized it. as it was Divine law ; men who were raised where it 
existed, considered African slavery right, as it had existed for 
at least ten generations within their midst, and in the enlight- 

94 



ened manner in which it existed in the South, it was a blessing 
to the African race or that much of it, and also a blessing to 
the Southern agriculturist where there was so much heat and 
malaria, also a blessing to the Union in general and to the 
European nations, and feeling that their lives and property 
were growing in more jeopardy every day, and as the right of 
withdrawal from the Federal compact was reserved by several 
of the States, when they signed the compact ; that if the right 
was reserved by some, as each was a Republic, all had the 
same right; but that he had watched the trend of events and 
that the war was waged simply to destroy African slavery, 
and as principally most of the Caucasian nations were anti- 
slavery and monarchists, they not only favored the war 
against the South, but hoped and still hope that the bitter 
animosities that would be engendered might prove an arrow 
in the heart of Liberty or Democracy, and the Republic 
would crumble and fall. 

He then wanted to know what the Southern people gen- 
erally thought about the action of Kentucky. He told them 
that many thought the action of the State of Kenucky was 
very wise ; that it would not only save it from being the battle- 
grounds of contending armies, but that they would wisely 
preserve their property. 

He then said, still leading and drawing him out : Well, 
young man, what do you think of the action of the State of 
Kentucky. Before thinking he answered, he thought Ken- 
tucky acted through policy to save her property ; in doing so, 
she lost her principles and property, tpo. Several young men 
leaped to their feet, and ripping out an oath, gave it the lie. 
His cousin called from the window, Cousin A, come here 
quick ! An old gentlemen said, Shame on you, young men ! 
Judge W. drew the young man out and without mental res- 
ervation, after being assured that he was among friends, he 
answered frankly : Listen ! I had two sons in the Federal 
army, and both have been killed, and their bones, if they were 
not buried, lay bleaching upon Southern soil today, fighting, 
as they supposed, for the Union of their Fathers, and his bul- 
lets may have killed them ; but every word that he has uttered 
is truth. Mr. S. continued. I know his father and he is a 
Union man ; this young man has watched the trend of events 
more closely than even those of maturer years. He, too, is a 
Union man, but he is a rebel to radical tyranny and oppres- 
sion, and all of us should be. The young man got up and 
went up to his cousin's room, to receive a curtain lecture, 
thinking how imprudently he had acted. 

It seems as if the all-wise Ruler of the Universe is still 



95 



watching over his every action, and in its own good time it 
will bear good fruit. 

His hotel cousin told him that his little Rebel cousin, a 
Miss V. B., from Texas, was waiting in the parlor to see him, 
and to go in there and entertain her. She was going to school 
in Kentucky, when the war broke out, she told him, and had 
never gone home, and had been attending school during the 
entire time. He found her to be an uncompromising Rebel, 
and she was pretty intelligent, and having musical talent, and 
it reasonably well cultivated, he was so glad to meet her, for 
their hearts beat in unison, politically, anyway, and she 
played and sang many Southern songs, the first he had been 
regaled with since he left old Georgia, and her lovely daugh- 
ters. In uttering her rebel sentiments, he took occasion to 
admonish her that she was, he feared, acting imprudently, 
when she told him, she said just what she pleased, and from 
what he learned from his cousin, she was very wilfull 
and extreme. About this time, a first cousin, a Miss E. B. 
and a Miss V. W., the daughter of a Congressman from the 
mountain districts south-east about 175 miles, arrived at the 
hotel on their way home. A male cousin by the name of 
W. B. soon arrived, riding one horse and leading two horses, 
one for his sister to ride and one for Miss V. W. to ride ; so as 
the rebel's wealthy cousin had furnished him a fine young 
mare to break and ride ; the party of four light young hearts 
as ever breathed, supplied with saddle riders, and satchels 
to carry their clothing and lunch for noon each day ; started 
for their mountain, country homes, a treat indeed for the 
rebel, who had been away so long from his cavalier life, and 
that in company with two young friendly girls returning 
home from school for the last time, as they made their debut 
on the social or matrimonial carpet, and that, too, from 
among the elite of their home circle. The weather was beau- 
tiful and balmy, and the autumnal tints just as they were 
gradually transforming into the rich go : lden and many other 
variegated hues were so lovely and entrancing to that un- 
caged rebel that paradise could hardly excel it, and surely to 
those maidens and youths, it was that much like paradise; 
even if the rebel was manly in years he was in feeling the 
youngest and freshest of the quartette, for traveling as they 
did for the greater part of four days, music was much in- 
dulged in to gladden their journey for young light lives like 
theirs knew naught of whiling away the time ; for they hardly 
knew its value. Now and then indulging in an anecdote, 
and playing a joke, discussing some subject and when too 
weighty, surmising as best their youthful minds could, the 
reasons, whys, and wherefores, and toward the duller part of 

96 



the afternoons, as the shadows lengthened and their leg- 
wearied, noble, faithful animals, would occasionally strike a 
rock, root or stump with their toe, relieving the monotony; 
they would also indulge in wierd stories and hobgoblins 
from their youthful homes. On each day the songs of the 
birds and the occasional bark of a squirrel, and to see them 
in their nimble playful antics was amusing to their young 
hearts. There were larger animals, such as an occasional 
woodchuck, fox, raccoon, opossum, deer, bear and the stately 
turkey but as they were found in the less frequented wilds, 
were seldom seen on the highways, but all four had seen them 
and had stories to relate about them and of the dainty and 
uncommon dishes they afforded. It was after berry time, 
so the chestnut, hickory nut, acorns, fall apples and peaches 
were the fruits. The fourth day they arrived at their uncle's 
and father's and all were overjoyed to see them and were 
so very kind to their nephew and cousin ; scattered among 
the mountain valleys he found two great aunts and some of 
their descendants, so taking some of his cousins to show 
him the way and for company, he visited them, and many 
were the stories told of his father's boyhood days. The fam- 
ilies had originally moved there from Virginia and North 
of the states and had there met and married one of his great 
uncles and aunts is so riduculous yet mirthful it is worth re- 
lating : \A Mr. E. had come out either from one of the other 
of the tsates and had there met and married one of his great 
aunts, who was gifted and noted as a politician ; so much so 
that visitors sought her company instead of his; and he was 
known to remark that if his wife died first and he ever sought 
another wife, he would select a mute. One of his brothers 
who had learned that his brother had married, mounted on a 
fine horse, came out to visit him, so arriving in the neigh- 
borhood, he inquired of a neighbor's where Mr. E. lived ; the 
neighbor after telling him, as he started off, called to him 
and told him that he had forgotten to notify him, that Mr. E. 
might be absent from the house on the farm somewhere and 
that as his wife was a mute, he thought best to tell him so 
that he might know better how to act.. He thanked him and 
rode on, wondering what made his brother marry a mute, 
it wasn't long until he arrived at his brother's. 

Seeing an elegant house and the surroundings denoting 
refinement and prosperity, as he rode up to the gate the sis- 
ter in law was standing on the threshold and he bowed polite- 
ly to her and she elegantly returned it. He then made signs 
as best he could that he wished to alight and go in, she mo- 
tioned for him to do so. She opened the parlor and mo- 
tioned him to go in and handed him a chair; they both sat 

97 



down for a while in mute silence ; being quite thirsty he 
made signs for a drink of water, and both rose to their feet 
facing each other and he made signs again; just at that mo- 
ment her husband walked in and she remarked : Mr. E. do 
you know what this gentleman wants, I think he must be a 
mute. The supposed mute said : Great God, Madam, can you 
speak? Yes, and Great God sir, can you speak?. Singular- 
ly enough the loquaocious companion died prematurely and 
he married a stately, handsome, cultivated mute and they 
had several perfect children when the rebel was there, but 
his uncle J. E. was dead. His uncle's oldest son, T. B., was 
a lieutenant under General Grant at the siege of Vicksburg 
and was shot through the shoulder ; the rebel and his cousin 
T. were about the same age, they roomed together and freely 
exchanged views on all subjects, and insisted on his accom- 
panying him home, but T. thought he wouldn't be welcome in 
Alabama; the rebel told him that he would be, that Alaba- 
mians didn't object to the Union nor Unio n people from any- 
where but they disliked radicals and miscegenators ; and 
while the war had destroyed slavery sooner than it would 
have been destroyed, that the South would ever contend for 
white supremacy. His cousin and he took a hunt on duck 
river, and as they could find no game, he suggested as the 
river was clear to kill some fish if they could find any; being 
on a bluff fully one hundred yards above the river, he showed 
his cousin T. a nice trout about eighteen inches long near 
the center of the river, seemingly shoaling, but it being 
autumn the shoaling season had passed; he asked T. if he 
could kill it; T. told him he always fished or seined, and 
that he had never heard of fish being shot and asked him 
if he could kill it, he told him that he thought he could, 
and he said, what at this distance ; so raising his rifle off hand 
he fired and killed it dead; never even floundering as they 
at times do, even when killed, they went to the bank and he 
pulled off his shoes and socks, and as the water was not 
very deep waded in and got it. They looked well the surface 
of the river for more, but they were all hid, either under the 
rocks and boulders or in the deep holes out of sight. His 
cousin said : I believe the Southern troops were better marks- 
men than the Northern for their shots seemed more fatal. 
On arriving at home, T. told the circumstances and all, 
even his father said that, that was a remarkable feat and 
that he doubted whether his nephew could do so again under 
like circumstances. A told his uncle that as there was only 
one fish it was for him and his aunt; and that on their next 
hunt maybe they would have better luck and then all could 
enjoy the game. He enjoyed himself so much while staying 

98 



at his uncle's who were true Union people, but one out of 
the whole family was a rebel to the cause and made up for 
all the rest, she had married a Mr. W. and was equally as ex- 
treme. Having finished his stay, and bid all of them an af- 
fectionate farewell. On his return to the blue grass, he 
visited his grand father's sister on his mother's side, a Mrs. 
T., whose husband had bee n sheriff of the county, and whose 
residence had been burned, and as all her children were away 
from home, she lived in only one room on the old home- 
stead, and one of her grand daughters, Miss S. A. whose 
father lived in Louisville, a nice girl, lived with her and she 
told them many things about their old pioneer Kentucky 
home. Of how they gathered in the crude primitive way the 
maple juice and manufactured all the syrup and sugar they 
used, and how pure and nice it was. Of how they enjoyed 
the harvest seasons, of the corn shuckings and log rollings, 
and sad it was when the red men made war on the settle- 
ments and the settlers followed them into the deep recesses 
of the primitive forests to recover their stolen horses, cattle 
and occasionally a child; and of uneasiness that pervaded the 
settlement until the return of the male members ; and occa- 
sionally the sad story of the loss of one or more of their party; 
she told them that her oldest son had espoused the Union 
cause and was a surgeon in the army, and that her youngest 
son was in the Confederate army during the war and then 
with his young wife at his father-in-law's in N. C. He now 
visited a Union cousin, a Mr. R. H., whose pretty young 
wife threw her arms around his neck and after kissing him 
very affectionately welcomed him to share their home until 
he could return to Alabama. While the ex-Confederate was 
loath to leave so affectionate and kind a couple, he learned 
much about the battle that Gen. Zollicoffer was killed at, 
and of the treatment of his dead body by Northern vandals; 
he says he will not call them soldiers ; and told where his 
mother's own cousin lived and who bore his mother's name 
and who was a Captain in the Federal army, and was close to 
the brave General who was leading his men and encouraging 
them all he could, and finally when the battle was 
over and the Confederates were defeated beyond 
a doubt by the Union element in the battle from the pro- 
slavery states. When the Nothern element came to examine 
the body of the brave General, they commenced twisting their 
fingers in the beautiful, jet black, glossy, long locks of his 
hair and jerking it out and sticking it in their pockets. The 
brave Kentuckian could stand it no longer, and unsheath- 
ing his sword, ordered them to stop plucking his hair, and 
for a while held them at bay, but finally the pressure was so 



99 



great that he was borne from the spot. His head was de- 
nuded of his beautiful hair, his jewelry, his pockets rifled, pieces 
cut out of his beautiful uniform, until in the language of Shak- 
espeare one could truthfully say : Sans hair, sans jewels, sans 
knife, sans pocket-book, etc. That brave, generous, noble, 
magnificent looking General's corpse was unrecognizable. 
What a travesty hangs over that Union victory. If there is 
one who breathes yet that was guilty of participating in 
bring such shame on the achievements to the grandest 
army ever marshaled on the Eastern continent, since it has 
been known as America, if he could be ferreted out, the stain 
should be effaced by prosecuting them before the law for 
mutilating and robbing the bodies of the brave and valiant 
dead. Bidding farewell to that couple of loved relatives, he 
hunted up the valiant Captain ; the own cousin of his mother ; 
now professor E. T., who taught school some fifty miles 
away. He stayed several days with him, and gathered 
afresh from him the particulars ; also, if he recollected aright ; 
the Captain reported the affair to headquarters and no cog- 
nizance or action whatever, was taken of it and soon there- 
after he resigned. The Captain's ancestry were of Revolu- 
tionary stock, what was known as old line or Washington- 
ian Whigs, and one of his cousins, from Virginia, was a 
General in the Federal army and was killed 
fighting for his country in Texas. But as many things were 
done as a military necessity, possibly it was permissible that 
early in the war, to whet the belligerent appetite of the rad- 
ical and prepare him better to meet and cope with the fire- 
eating hyena; for like the Scotch and English terriers, they 
brought on the fight between the American Union bull 
dogs and then did the howling, while the bull dogs done the 
execution; and the best element of the nation was slain and 
a set of terriers have kept up a howling or barking ever 
since. Several schools were offered to him and his cousin 
insisted on him teaching ; but he wanted as soon as the rail- 
roads were open to retur n to his home ; so bidding his cousin 
good-bye he returned to his wealthy cousin's, who had fur- 
nished him the nice young mare to break to the saddle and 
she was gentle and easily controlled. As his cousin, H. D. 
was having his wheat thrashed he assisted him about three 
weeks until he had finished and during his stay there met 
several other relatives and many nice refined families, until 
he was almost loath to leave. He now bid his kind cousin 
farewell, with many thanks for their kindnesses and struck 
out on the Harrodsburg pike for the railroad and for home. 
He found himself in company with several gray-haired elder- 
ly looking gentleman. They wanted to know where he was 

ioo 



from and where he was going and he told them he was 
from prison and been stopping with some relatives and had 
learned that he could go most of the way through by rail 
to his home in Alabama. A very large old gentleman want- 
ed to know if he was with General Braxton Bragg's army in 
Kentucky. He told him yes. He said some troops had 
.fought in front of his house and that the Federals riddled 
his house with bullets ; and showed him where his house 
stood, and the rebel recognized the place and told him about 
the circumstances and of having a small fire to warm their 
feet; and the old gentleman railed out on him and told him 
that he and all of his companions ought to have been hung 
for it. The rebel told him the Federals were pressing them 
and their officers ordered them to return the fire and that he 
was nothing but 1 a poor private and they had to obey orders. 
He looked daggers at the rebel for a moment who never took 
his eyes off of him, and who was well armed again by per- 
mission, with two fine 45 Colts, and his hands rested on the 
handles. The other gentleman calling him by his given 
name, told him the Private had to carry out orders ; that he 
was not amenable ; to think for a moment. He spoke and 
said he felt like he was one of those despisable secessionists, 
that had invaded the state, and endangered the lives of his 
entire family and he hated them. He then spoke a little 
milder and asked him his name. A. B. of Alabama. Are 
you any relation to J. A. B. of Alabama. One J. A. B. was 
his father. What! we all know him well. Surely he is not 
a secessionist, he's got too much sense to be one. He told 
him no, he was a Union man ; then how came you in the 
army? He told him, as already stated before, that he had 
two cousins that were reported killed in the first battle of 
Manasses, or captured ; and they were his playmates, and 
that he was in his nineteenth year, and he volunteered the 
next day against his father's wish, and was sent off in a few 
days, and was sent to the front and his company entered the 
State of Kentucky, at Stateline Station in what was known as 
Jackson's purchase, in west Kentucky, on Sept. 2, 1861. The 
Federals having entered at Paducah on the 1st of Sept. 1861, 
Kentucky having asked both governments not to invade her 
soil that she wanted to be neutral. He then said young man 
while I do not like you, rebel, I am no abolitionist and much 
less a, radical as Mr. L. is and his followers, I was here at 
his birth and I have his full pedigree. There was a poor but 
pretty finely formed girl living here by the name of N. H. 
and a quite wealthy gentleman who had a family became 
quite intimate with her, the result was she became enceinte; 
at or about this time a n elderly like old gentleman either was 



101 



stopping or boarding with the family, claiming to be from N. 
C, by the name of L., who was apparently a very nice old 
gentleman ; and as the wealthy gentleman saw that he very 
much admired Miss. N. H. he encouraged him to court her, 
by offering to assist him, and that he would use his influence 
with the girl whom he had known very favorably as an- in- 
dustrious, smart girl ; and all that could be said against her 
was her poverty, and as he wished her well and he thought 
well of him, and to press his suit and that he would help them ; 
the old man did as he was encouraged to do, to the extent 
of eight hundred dollars, and won his suit and done well, 
while the girl became the mother of a fine seven months boy. 
Many other children were born to them during the eighteen 
years the family lived there ; and while it was supposed that 
the wealthy gentleman, as he was always a welcome visitor 
at the house would leave a mark of his visits ; all of the off- 
spring excepting the first favored Mr. L.. The first boy A 
went to the free school of the state and learned rapidly, but 
was also trained to work, and none around him could, (of 
his opportunities) excel him, and naturally, as it would sup- 
pose to be, at the age of eighteen he was very amorous, and 
like many of the young men, as the negresses were very am- 
orous, and a more easy prey, he became very intimate with a 
house maid that belonged to an old gentleman living near, 
who had a dusky lover, and who was a little jealous; who no- 
tified the gentleman of the house (as the laws of the state 
forbid anyone entering clandestinely and without permission 
another's enclosure after night at that time in Kentucky ; the 
penalty according to what the old gentleman said ranged from 
$500 to $800.) That young A was in his dining room. He 
told the negro lover to go and get four or more of the negro 
men and station themselves at the door at which he entered 
and come and notify him ; he carried out orders and soon re- 
ported all was ready; when the gentleman of the house tak- 
ing a light repaired to the dining room from the interior of 
his house ; when young A. fell into the arms of the stalwart 
negroes who keenly enjoyed capturing any white person in- 
terfering with their girls, or women in any way. The pro- 
prietor returning to his room as if nothing had happened. 
The negro captors then sent into the main part of the build- 
ing to notify, him that they had captured a young white man 
that was interfering with one of their girls and was a 
maiden if he had not destroyed her. The proprietor dressed 
and went out and in the presence of his negro captors, he 
lectured young A. L. and advised him to go among his 
own color to seek the society of maidens and not 
interfere with the maidens of an inferior race, when situated 

102 



as they were, could not resent it; and it was his duty to ad- 
vise him and protect them; telling him he could have him 
prosecuted before the law ; that he was a reasonably sensible 
youth and a word to the wise was sufficient, but that if he 
persisted in it, and he could get hold of him, and could prove 
it on him, as he could do in that instance, that he would sure- 
ly prosecute him. Young L. was then turned loose. After 
so long a time he ventured back again, and as usual the ne- 
gro lover was On the alert; and apprised the proprietor who 
laid a trap for him and arrested him, and had him prosecuted 
before the law, and he was fined, when the prosecutor went on 
his bond. Some time elapsed again and he went back the 
third time. The vigilant lover was the means of his being 
arrested the third time and in all probability the last time. 
He was now told that they had used mild measures and they 
had failed, or, as on the boy up the apple tree, tufts of grass ; 
that they had tried the law, or clods of dirt ; and now they 
themselves would take him in hand, or in other words use 
stones; the effect of which the boy knew, and he was bright 
had studied in the schools of his state and knew of the boy in 
the apple tree. So having the tar brought he was given a 
good coating ; then the feathers were brought and he was 
given a coating and was sent a piece towards the Ohio river, 
and told that if he was ever seen on that section any more 
that harder means would be used ; and the boy was never seen 
on that premises he had defiled again. Now the rebel says 
to them he had heard that story the first time he was in Ken- 
tucky, but he thought it was purely a fabrication. The old 
gentleman then turned to the other old gentlemen present 
and askd them if it was so and they said yes. He told them 
that it was just such treatment as that that made extreme 
radicals in the North and that Uncle Tom's Cab'in was food 
enough to produce sympathisers among a half cultivated pop- 
ulance of our own race, who could read and not knowing the 
true facts of the case ; were taught that an African slave own- 
er was an illiterate, unprincipled, cruel brute, when the facts 
borne out by the relation between master and slave in the 
Southern states, prove that the masters were using all the 
means they could to teach the negroes morals and industry ; 
and occasionally taught some of them to read, so as to read 
their Bibles and to cipher and to write, which has brought 
that race or that part which was in the U. S. to a higher 
plane of civilization, than that many every where else in the 
world and were doing more good in the general economy of 
the world in furnishing food and clothing, under the guid- 
ance and by the assistance of their masters tha that much 
population in any other portion of the world, until the war 

103 



commenced; and if they can ever be cultivated, they are in 
a better state to be cultivated than any on earth. That was 
the last lesson he learned outside of Dixie, and right at the 
birth place of Mr. A. L. and it gave the rebel a clue or key 
to assist in unlocking, or unraveling the extreme measures 
used by Mr. A. L. during his administration. Crying Union! 
he violated the Constitution at every crook and turn, and as 
political prisoners were arrested and deported or expatriated 
by the hundreds and thousands. He, though representing a 
minority of a great nation, to destroy those he had learned 
to hate, formed alliances with other nations and borrowed 
treasures and issued decrees, all of which were respected 
and carried out, and history does not show a military dic- 
tator who was his equal, for one decree destroyed property 
to the value of $4,000,000,000. It took a man produced on 
slave soil, and from the loins of a slave owner, and from a 
perfect, pure Southern virgin's womb to cope with the great, 
intelligent, wealthy slave owners of the South. The intelli- 
gence he received from mixing with them during his minor- 
ity, at their schools, his severe 'treatment when he departed 
from among them, the soil to which he was transplanted, be- 
ing so favorable to a growth of his anti-slavery hatred, and 
where it could increase and expand, surrounded by a genial, 
ever increasing body politic, that was in a fertile, well water- 
ed, self-sustaining, healthy country, rapidly increasing in 
wealth and intelligence ; and the writer does not believe that 
the Northern or Southern people had another man that could 
have carried out, up till his death and bear up with the re- 
verses that he had to contend against, within their borders ; 
not that they did not have finer Statesmen, or greater Theo- 
logians, or more inventive geniuses, or better mechanics, or 
military generals, and engineers ; but he was the one man 
'fitted by his birth, tiraining and treatment; and 
when he had fulfilled his mission, the God Father and 
God Mother, for is not it a fact that as there 
is a counterpart in all things in nature ; in their good time, 
way and manner removed him from earth, having fulfilled 
his mission. It cannot be said of him as of other celebrities, 
that he entered into the joys prepared for him by his Master, 
for he acknowledged no master, nor was guided by any creed ; 
for to carry out his mission, he had to be master himself, and 
instead of being guided by any creed, he issued decrees and 
proclamations, and they were carried out to the letter. But 
it may truthfully be written : 

Another page in the book of fame, 
Has on it written a unique name, 

104 



For in birth and death, like Christ we mourn, 
A race hallows, Abraham Lincoln. 

As cause is greater than the effect, 
The Southern, alone, his rule reject, 
God Father, God Mother, perfect One, 
He worshipped his God, his God alone. 

Created to rule by God's command, 
Rules not by money, nor by a wand ; 
'His deeds of valor, widely proclaim, 
He strikes for freedom — not for a name. 

So, as wealth bequeathed, from sire to son ; 
His work is left, as yet, half undone. 
Freemen, awake ! Long and loud proclaim : 
Tyrants, avaunt ! Louder the refrain. 

Having boarded the train, he soon crossed the line of 
Kentucky into Dixie, in the land of the lamented and loved 
Zollocoffer, whose beautiful bosom had been rent to disfigura- 
tion by the camping, fighting, pillaging and plundering of the 
armies, until difficult of recognition. Purchasing a paper, he 
saw published the recent death of General Wm. M. K., as he 
was riding through a piece of new ground on his farm in 
Louisiana, by a large limb suddenly breaking and falling 
upon him unawares. It was the first report from a relative, 
and it a sad one; for he knew him well, and though a proud, 
haughty, handsome man, he loved his uncle, and his memory ; 
and carried the news of his death, and of its manner, to his 
loved ones, as Duty had always been to him the sublimest 
word in his language. Sans cause, sans home, sans country, 
all seemed gloomy indeed to that sad, young heart, and he 
upbraided himself as he passed over sections where he had 
had conflicts with the enemy, that he had not done more ; yet 
in reflecting, he had always tried to be at his post, he had 
never failed to carry out an order, or perform a duty. How 
he loved those good, kind, hospitable Tennesseans. He was 
kindly greeted everywhere ; he felt so sad that the whole 
populace should greet him with open arms, and welcome him 
back, and all others returning at the same time, seemed to 
share like receptions, for though privates, had not their indi- 
vidual, as well as united, deeds of valor, heroism, self-abne- 
gation and kindness, without remuneration, never asking nor 
expecting any, assisting to beat or drive back or hold in check 
the combined forces of every Caucasio n nation. Marshalled 
and equipped, fed and officered, by the greatest natural enemy 

105 



his beloved Southland ever had, the astute Lincoln ; for was it 
not a fact that the private then was passing through a section 
and over the ground of his loved native Dixieland, where he 
had fought and captured whole commands, that were com- 
posed of rank and file, and even bearing arms of their nation- 
alities, that even received their commands in a foreign tongue, 
and even fought commands equipped, drilled, clothed and fed 
of their own faithful servants, that were forced into service 
against their wishes, and who at even this day and time, talk 
in highest praises of their former white relatives and of the 
white patriarchs, or masters, if you please, and their happy, 
joyous lives, with their warm-hearted, free-hearted, big- 
hearted comrades and friends, in their once best, kindest gov- 
erned, most perfectly trained, moral, virtuous, religious, de- 
lightful, hospitable, Christian, Southern homes. 

He had done well, but he was not successful, and he was 
sad indeed ; a change was to take place at his home in the do- 
mestic relation, and in the political relations that would prove 
a greater defeat than he had met by the combined force of the 
nations and races of mankind, that had been hurled against 
him to wipe him and his institutions, his hospitalities and 
gathered wealth, refinement and intelligence from the face of 
the earth. To his mind all seemed chaos. The changes that 
had taken place were indeed great. He missed his comrades, 
and wondered why he was not taken, instead of them. He 
kneeled and returned gratitude to his Creator that it was as 
well with him as it was. To in mercy forgive him for all 
crimes, both of omission and commission ; to purify, purge 
to guard, guide, direct and protect him in every word, thought 
to guard, guide, direct and protect him in eery word, thought, 
action and deed, and to grant him health and strength of 
body, knowledge and wisdom of mind, to grapple with suc- 
cessfully and overcome eery obstacle, in every worthy cause 
temporally ; and lead him spiritually in the way he should go, 
that he might fear no evil, and he prepared to meet and over- 
come the terrors of Death. That youth was sad indeed, com- 
muning with no one but his God, and he really feared Him, 
and nothing else, seeking Him for guidance, when he failed in 
anything, he accepted the failure ' as a recognition of God's 
disapproval, and when successful, he returned heartfelt grati- 
tude, and asked that gratitude be only manifested to Him, 
for fear a success might be construed by his fellow beings as 
arrogance, or assumption, when he only wished it as a bless- 
ing; even his failures a blessing to others. 

For the poet has written : 



1 06 



"The vile wretch, who concentrated all in self, 

Living - , shall forfeit fair renown ; 

And doubly dying, shall go down 

To the vile dust, from whence he sprung, 

Unwept, unhonored and unsung." 

It was not long till he entered the tunnel at Cumberland 
Mountain, passing through it, into the mouth of the beautiful 
Sequatchie valley, and into the main Tennessee valley, and 
soon on across the river at Bridgeport, with the beautiful 
mountain scenery in every direction ; around the base o f 
Lookout Mountain to Chattanooga, thence on to Kingston, 
thence to Rome, over the roughest piece of road he ever rec- 
ollects passing over : thence by steamer down the deep, nar- 
row, tortuous Coosa river to Gadsden ; thence by stage to 
Blue Mountain, the terminus of the Alabama & Tennessee 
Rivers Railroad ; thence to home, where he had been mourned 
for a long time as dead. While all seemed so glad to see him, 
none could seem to realize that he was really alive ; but his 
dear, invalid mother was still alive, and her health really 
seemed better ; she lived a little over a year, and all of her fam- 
ily gathered around the death-bed of that pious, resigned, 
Christian mother, and as her spirit passed away it seemed as 
if he was left alone, indeed, in this world, and as he had some 
trouble with the Freedmen's Bureau, it was thought b^st for 
him to leave his home, and bidding his loved ones adieu, he 
started out in the wide world to make a living. 



ADENDA. 

The Private says he has examined carefully every report 
of Mr. A. Lincoln's death, and he has selected one, that really 
is a reason why Mr. J. Wilkes Booth took his life. Booth 
was the finest actor on the American stage, both comedian 
and tragedian ; a true Republican, a true Unionist, an Ameri- 
can sovereign of the highest type. Mr. Lincoln had been suc- 
Ci ssful in marshalling the grandest army at that time on 
earth, also had sought and found an ally in every leading na- 
tion, either by concessions, purchase or treaties ; he had ar- 
rived at that point when he had enquired of his greatest Gen- 
erals why, with such large armies, well drilled, well officered, 
well disciplined, well clothed and fed, and best armed in the 
world, can't you just wipe that brand of Traitors off of the face 
of the earth? General Grant, his greatest captain, answered: 
You can't whip them ; you have to kill them off by piece meal, 
until they are gradually destroyed. How he must have float- 
ed over the thought, that while he hallowed Union, and it was 

107 



caught tip and reiterated by every gloating Radical until it 
reverberated throughout the length and breadth of the land, 
even deceiving those that they were gradually seeking to rob, 
plunder and murder in a wholesale manner. 

Listen at one of his aphorisms, often quoted and imputed 
to him : You can fool some of the people some of the time, 
b-ut you can't fool all the people all the time. I can without 
fear of danger wreck revenge on every pro-slavery man in ex- 
istence, to which every Radical exclaimed, Amen ! 

Now, the Private says, he has used strong language, to 
place before you the correct views of Mr. Lincoln and his ac- 
tion just before and at the time of his death, so that the reader 
can see what he believes to be the correct cause of his death. 
There was a Captain in the Confederate service captured, 
tried, and condemned as a spy, to be hung about the time Mr. 
Lincoln was assassinated. He was a room-mate at college 
with J. Wilkes Booth. Booth saw an account of the capture, 
trial and sentence of his bosom friend. He went to the prison 
to' see if he was mistaken. It proved to be his friend. They 
had a talk over his condition, and he called on Mr. Lincoln 
to pardon, and he promised him he would. Booth was satis- 
fied, and, as all great actors are employed and absorbed most 
of their time with their profession, he was sure all would be 
right, for was he not Mr. Lincoln's favorite theatrical per- 
former, and didn't he have his regular pew at all times at his 
theatre, that he could spare for theatrical purposes. The 
time came for his execution and passed, and his friend was 
executed ; picking up his daily paper, he discovers the fact, 
and, perchance, to make sure, he visited the prison ; he may 
have called on Mr. Lincoln, and he may have shifted some of 
the responsibility upon Seward and Stanton, for was it not 
also plotted that they were to be assassinated, too, and failed, 
because the assassins were not as intelligent and determined 
as was Booth. It has been stated time and agin, that Mr. Sew- 
ard was the cause of the emancipation proclamation ; and 
were not both of the attempted assassins Republicans, and 
from Republican States? Booth acts, and acts at once. He 
commits the deed, and leaps from the verge of the pew or 
balcony to the stage, and waving his pistol in a tragical man- 
ner above his head, audibly exclaimed : "Sic semper tyrannis !" 
(Ever so to tyrants.) He performed his last tragedy, but as 
might be expected, it was performed in a cowardly manner. 
He should have walked in front of Mr. Lincoln, handed him a 
loaded pistol, equally as good as his, and said to him : De- 
fend yourself, tyrant, we are now On the same footing! 
American sovereigns never fear to meet their adversaries ; nor 
will they stoop to persecute helpless prisoners, recognized as 

1 08 



prisoners of war, by feeding them upon salt, vitriol pickles 
and musty, wormy meal, that has been ground several years, 
and made to drink as beverage brackish seawater for months, 
until scurvy sets in, when their teeth, finger and toe nails fes- 
ter and drop out, and holes are eaten i n their bodies, until you 
can see their bones ; until their sufferings were so great that 
their reason was dethroned, and then, in that condition, ex- 
tort an oath from them to support a radical constitution, 
foisted by a minority faction of a great Caucasian nation over 
some of the people, during the time of war ; then place them 
in a barracks hospital, feed them at soup houses, until they 
recover sufficiently to work ; then announce to them that they 
are only on trial until the first of June ; then place negro 
guards over them ostensibly to humiliate them ; then to con- 
ciliate them, tell them that the government will pay them 
governmental wages during the time they were worked, and 
then to cover up their damnable deeds, report to the world 
that it was voluntary on the part of those poor, emaciated, 
tortured, helpless, living human skeletons. 

Deity saw fit in His own good time, and own way, to put 
an end to the atrocious, damnable pro-slavery and anti-slavery 
war, and all of its concomitant cruelties. 

To which all true Union, Caucasian, United States, Amer- 
ican freemen can truthfully say, Amen ! and the Radical and 
the Fire-eater will become in the body politic obsolete terms, 
buried in the ashes of the great internecine fratricidal war of 
1 86 1 to 1865. 

Another aphorism imputed to Mr. Lincoln : I am in favor 
of a high protective tariff. Now, what is a tariff? A tax. 
What first kindled resentment in the heart or mind of the 
original New Englander? An import, or duty, a tax, on tea, 
greatly loved and used by them as a beverage ; in many ways, 
said tax imposed by the Mother Country to raise revenue, to 
make a long matter concise, an indirect tax paid by the con- 
sumer, until it became burdensome, and it was resented in a 
high-handed way, by attempting the destruction of the tea. 
They thus deprived themselves of the use of it, when they 
could have refused to purchase or consume it, which would 
have settled the matter without violating the law, and also 
deprived themselves of the use of it without showing their 
anger or resentment. At the time Mr. Lincoln used the ex- 
pression, about 33,000,000 people were burdened with a tax as 
consumers at an average of about $2.00 per capita. Today 
about 80.000,000 are consumers and burdened with a tariff (a 
tax, of about $12.50 per capita.) Then the wealth was more 
equally distributed through wise laws, and the masses were 
better able to bear it. Now, through unwise laws, there is a 

109 



great amount of wealthj but it is in the hands of the few, and 
the masses are poverty stricken, working harder and have less 
mother wit, less stamina of character, and less real intelli- 
gence, and are less capable as American sovereigns of de- 
manding their rights intelligently at the ballot box, the mild- 
est weapon that the beautiful Goddess of Liberty has present- 
ed freemen to fight their tearless, bloodless, humane, painless 
battles, and quietly and intelligently settle their internecine 
disputes, differences or troubles; also to adopt wise laws that 
may bring wealth and contentment to the masses. 

Kind reader, while much mental food may be contained 
in this little book for consideration, the Author hopes to fol- 
low it up by others, that may thoroughly delineate every 
phase in the life of this simple, pure, mortal man, and while 
he will try and cling to facts, he hopes that it may prove en- 
tertaining, and good may result therefrom. 

INO. 



ALABAMA HOME-COMING DAY.— 1908. 
1 

Alabama mocking bird warble a lay, 

For sister and brother are coming today. 
"Pis not so inviting and cheerful as may ; 

The morn's are refreshing and mellows the way ; 
The Autumn is here, and invites you to stay, 

Our sweet sister cheer up for brothers's so gay. 

2 
For papa and mama both want to see you, 

How sad and so long since they bid you adieu, 
And how glad to be spared to welcome you two ; 

Dear sister, mother weeps so much of late, too; 
I know that "her tears" are for brother and you. 

Oh, how joyous I feel! O, how do both do? 

3 
Our papa and mama are growing quite old. 

Little brother's at play ; the last, I am told, 
Of our little flock. Yet I am called bold. 

Fact is; papa and mama often me scold. 
At break of day I jump up in the cold, 

Kindle the fire, for the last thing 'tis coaled. 

4 
I milk and feed the cow ; the horse I attend ; 

I make up the beds, and the old clothes I mend. 
Breakfast being o'er, to the store I must trend ; 

There to wait on ladies and be gazed at by men ; 
They say I am fickle and often offend, 

The old bachelors, all, claim to be my friend. 

no 



5 
How tired I am, when the day's work is o'er, 

And thre't'n ne'er to return to the store ; 
Sister and brother, we welcome you the more. 

Mama and papa are standing in the door; 
'Tis sweet to be kissed by papa as of yore, 

But sweeter to be kissed, a la amour. 



DIXIE OF TODAY— 1908. 
1 
Oh ! Let the world attend my strain, 

And echo back the proud refrain, 
Look away ! Look away ! 

Look away down South at Dixie ! 
Her cotton fields, iron and gold, 

With mines of coal makes wealth untold, 
Look away ! Look away ! 

Look away down South at Dixie ! 

Chorus. 

Hie away to Dixie ! Hie away ! Hie away ! 

To Dixie Land we'll hie to plan 
A home in beautiful Dixie Land. 

Hie away ! Hie away ! Hie away to Dixie. 

2 
Jeff Davis rose to chief command, 

Of that beautiful, favored land, 
Away ! Away ! Away down South called Dixie. 

Manassas first of the field fights, 
Beauregard put the Yanks to flight, 

Away ! Away ! Away down South in Dixie. 

Chorus — Hie away to Dixie. 

3 
"Stonewall" Jackson of matchless fame, 

Made at Manassas that great name. 
Liv'd way ! Liv'd way ! Liv'd way N. E. in Dixie. 

Albert S. Johnson, that great man, 
Who led from Shiloh to the strand, 

Liv'd way! Liv'd way! 
Liv'd way out West in Texas. 

Chorus. 

4 
Joe Johnson, loved by all his men, 

Saved many lives, and proved their friend, 
Where'er! Where'er! Where'er he led in Dixie. 

And now comes the immortal Lee, 

in 



A Christian soldier he must be ; 

Lived in, fought long, for cause of our lost Dixie. 

Chorus — Hie away to Dixie. 

5 
So Grant, to carry out the plan, 

Treated alone with that great man, 
Close by, or near, or near that apple tree stand, 

That banner then was sadly furled 
When given back to Mother World. 

Great God ! Tread softly ! 'Tis our "Lost Cause," Dixi 

Chorus. 

6 
Oh, where's the land, on all the earth, 

That came so near to be a birth, 
Oh as ! Oh as ! Oh as our "Lost Cause." Dixie ? 

A land in name, a land of fame ; 

'Twill live forever just the same; 

Oh ho ! Oh ho ! Will our "Lost Cause," Dixie. 

Chorus. 

7 
Come all ye brave of other lands, 

We welcome you with heart and hands, 
To our ! To our ! To our own dear Dixie. 

The negro's free and so you'll be, 
Peers of any on land or sea, 

Away! Away! Away. down South in Dixie. 

Chorus — Hie away to Dixie. 

8 

And help our ranks destroy the cranks, 

From icy tanks to sunny banks, 
Of truth ! Of truth ! Of truth so will our Dixie. 

Our task fulfilled, by God's own will, 
We'll taste of death, yet shun His "Hell," 

So sure ! So sure ! So surely will our Dixie. 

9 
If Eons hath, in ages path 

Evolved our Dixie from its swath, 
Away ! Away ! Away down South hath Dixie. 

Yet meek and gentle as the dove, 
It worships God, the God of Love ! 

Away! Away! Away down South doth Dixie. 

Chorus. 

INO. 



112 



THE STORY OF 
SIXTY YEARS 

By INO 




BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, 1908 



Copyright, 1908 
By W. F. Hogan 



